pq 


HE 
CHEERY 


A  BIT  OF 
VERSE  FOR 
EVERY  DAY 

JOHN 

KENDRICK 

BANGS 


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THE 
CHEERY    WAY 


The  Cheery  Way 

A  Bit  of  Verse 
For  Every  Day 

By  JOHN  KENDRICK  BANGS 

Author  of  "A  House-Boat  on  the  Styx" 
"The  Pursuit  of  the  House-Boat"  etc. 

Decorations  by 
J.  R.  FLANAGAN 


Harper  fc?  Brothers  Publishers 
New  York  and  London 


pi 


BOOKS  BY 
JOHN  KENDRICK  BANGS 

THE   CHEERY  WAY 

THE   BICYCLERS 

THE   CHAFING-DISH   PARTY 

COFFEE   AND   REPARTEE 

A   DRAMATIC   EVENING 

DREAMERS 

THE   ENCHANTED   TYPEWRITER 

THE   FATAL   MESSAGE 

THE   HOUSE-BOAT   ON   THE   STYX 

THE    GENIAL    IDIOT 

JACK  AND   THE   CHECK-BOOK 

MR.    BONAPARTE    OF   CORSICA 

OVER   THE    PLUM   PUDDING 

A   PROPOSAL   UNDER   DIFFICULTIES 

THE   PURSUIT   OF   THE   HOUSE-BOAT 

THE   REAL   THING 

THREE   WEEKS   IN   POLITICS 

THE   WORSTED   MAN 

YOUNG   FOLKS'  MINSTRELS 


HARPER  &   BROTHERS,   NEW  YORK 
[ESTABLISHED  1817] 


THE  CHEERV  WAY 


Copyright,  1919,  by  Harper  &  Brothers 
Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


^r*- 


CONTENTS 

THE  NEW-BORN  YEAR       ....      January  First 

WATCH  OUT! January  Second 

THRO'  THE  DEPTHS January  Third 

LTTCK  AND  PLUCK January  Fourth 

PERSISTENCE January  Fifth 

"VAIN January  Sixth 

LOVE'S  BLINDNESS January  Seventh 

IMMUNE January  Eighth 

THE  STARS January  Ninth 

THE  SOURCE January  Tenth 

THE  EVER-YOUNG January  Eleventh 

THE  FURNISHINGS January   Twelfth 

COMPENSATION January  Thirteenth 

THE  GUEST         January  Fourteenth 

POSSESSION  FIRST January  Fifteenth 

WINTER  ROSES January  Sixteenth 

A  MATTER  OF  TASTE         .      .      .  January  Seventeenth 

RADIATION January  Eighteenth 

RICH  AND  POOR January  Nineteenth 

THE  PASSWORD January  Twentieth 

THE  GOSSIPER January  Twenty-first 

MY  PRAYER January  Twenty-second 

EXPOSED January  Twenty-third 

SHIPMATES January  Ticenty-forth 

THE  BLUES January  Twenty-fifth 

GOOD  AND  EVIL  ....  January  Twenty-sixth 
THE  BORROWERS  ....  January  Twenty-seventh 
THE  RICH  MAN  ....  January  Twenty-eighth 

CHEER  UP! January  Twenty-ninth 

LIGHT  AND  SHADOW  ....  January  Thirtieth 
THE  TREASURE-CHEST  .  .  .  January  Thirty-first 

THE  DESIGN February  First 

POSSESSIONS February  Second 

A  HINT February  Third 

THE  PLAN February  Fourth 

THE  SURE  SUN February  Fifth 

WANTED February  Sixth 

EXCHANGES         February  Seventh 

To  FEBRUARY          February  Eighth 

THE  HEART  op  YOUTH     ....   February  Ninth 


CONTENTS 


MY  WORK 

PROFIT-SHARING       . 

LINCOLN        

THE  LONELY  HEIGHTS 

A  PROTEST 

TRANSFORMATION     .      .      .      . 

APPRECIATION 

MR.  JOY 

AN  ABSURDITY         . 
THE  UNFATHOMABLE    . 
THE  LADDER  AND  THE  LIGHT 
GARNERED  SWEETS 

WASHINGTON 

An  EXPLANATION    . 
A  NEW  BEGINNING 
A  GOODLY  GIFT 
THE  SELF-MADE  MAN 
DON'T  WORRY    ... 
THE  EDIFICE 
THE  DAY      .... 

MARCH 

DEFIANCE     .... 

THE  DWELLING-PLACE 

MINE  ENEMY     . 

PARTNERS      .... 

WEEDLESS     .... 

IN  PROPORTION 

A  CHEERFUL  INSTITUTION 

A  LONG  QUEST 

A  MARCH  DAY 

MY  FACE      .... 

MODELING     .... 

A  GOOD  INVESTMENT  . 

PROFIT 


.    February   Tenth 
February  Eleventh 
February   Twelfth 
.  February   Thirteenth 
.  February  Fourteenth 
February  Fifteenth 
.     February  Sixteenth 
.  February  Seventeenth 
.  February  Eighteenth 
.  February  Nineteenth 
.   February   Twentieth 
February   Twenty-first 
.  February  Twenty-second 
.    February   Twenty-third 
.  February   Twenty-fourth 
February   Twenty-fifth 
.    February   Twenty-sixth 
February  Twenty-seventh 
.  February  Twenty-eighth 
.  February  Twenty-ninth 
.    March  First 
.  March  Second 
.  March  Third 
March  Fourth 
.  March  Fifth 
.  March  Sixth 
March  Seventh 
.  March  Eighth 
.  March  Ninth 
.  March  Tenth 
.    March  Eleventh 
.      .      .     March  Twelfth 
March  Thirteenth 
March  Fourteenth 


UNREAL  TROUBLES March  Fifteenth 

FILL  IT March  Sixteenth 

FLOWERS March  Seventeenth 

CONTENTED March  Eighteenth 

REDEMPTION March  Nineteenth 

COMFORT March  Twentieth 

MELLOWING March  Twenty-first 

No  TRIBUTE March  Twenty-second 

ALL  IN  ONE March  Twenty-third 

CONCEALED  TREASURE       .     .      March  Twenty-fourth 

A  CALL March  Twenty-fifth 

SAFETY          March  Twenty-sixth 

EVIDENCES March  Twenty-seventh 


CONTENTS 

THE  WISE  FOOL March  Twenty-eighth 

VALUES          March  Twenty-ninth 

Two  RAILS March  Thirticth 

THE  SEQUENCE March  Thirty-first 

4PML,,    April  First 

HOLD  FAST April  Rccond 

A  PREFERENCE        Aprii  Third 

THE  FLOWER April  Fourfh 

KEY-NOTES AprU  Fifth 

CHANGED  AMBITION April  8ixth 

IN  HOURS  OF  GRIEF 'April  Seventh 

THE  GIFTS  OF  SPRING April  Eighth 

THE  PAST April  Ninth 

ORIGINS April  Tenth 

A  WELCOME  VISITOR April  Eleventh 

ALWAYS  AT  HOME        April  Twelfth 

THE  GIFT April  Thirteenth 

THE  SHIP April  Fourteenth 

A  PLEASANT  THREAT April  Fifteenth 

ALONGSIDE April  Sixteenth 

A  REALIZATION April  Seventeenth 

STRENGTH April  Eighteenth 

THE  VERDICT April  Nineteenth 

PICTURES April  Twentieth 

BAD  COMPANY April  Twenty-first 

HOPE AprU,  Twenty-second 

STRENGTHENING April  Twenty-third 

ASPIRATION April  Twenty-fourth 

THE  HARVEST          April  Twenty-fifth 

TOLERANCE April  Twenty-sixth 

MUNITIONS April  Twenty-seventh 

SOURCES         April  Twenty-eighth 

A  WISH April  Twenty-ninth 

IMMORTAL! April  Thirticth 

A  MAY-DAY  WHIM May  First 

THE  SEED May  Second 

THE  TREASURY May  Third 

THE  SINGING  BREEZE May  Fourth 

A  TOAST  TO  EARTH May  Fifth 

THE  POINT  OF  VIEW May  Sixth 

THE  LITTLE  BIRD May  Seventh 

To  HAPPYLAND May  Eighth 

THE  END  AND  THE  BEGINNING   .      .      .     May  Ninth 

PAGES  OF  LIFE May  Tenth 

THE  SINGING  WAY May  Eleventh 

THE  LAUGHING  SONG May  Twelfth 

HOPES  RESTORED          May  Thirteenth 


CONTENTS 

PROMISES May  Fourteenth 

IMMUNE May  Fifteenth 

THE  DAILY  BOOK May  Sixteenth 

WIRELESS May  Seventeenth 

THE  MIRTH-CURE May  Eighteenth 

A  RESOLVE May  Nineteenth 

UNDERSTUDIES May  Twentieth 

To  THE  ROSE May  Twenty-first 

IN  PLAIN  SIGHT May  Twenty-second 

THE  THIEF May  Twenty-third 

THE  HOMEWARD  WAY       .      .      .   May  Twenty-fourth 

THE  LINK May   Twenty-fifth 

YOUR  SHARE May  Twenty-sixth 

VISIONS May  Twenty-seventh 

A  RESOLVE May  Twenty-eighth 

STUMBLING May  Twenty-ninth 

MEMORIAL  DAY May  Thirtieth 

THE  VICTOR May  Thirty-first 

THE  MESSENGER June  First 

A  FAIR  IDEA June  Second 

JUDGMENT June  Third 

THE  PROOF        June  Fourth 

ELATION        June  Fifth 

BLESSINGS  TWAIN June  Sixth 

A  GOOD  END June  Seventh 

FISHIN' June  Eighth 

MY  FAITH June  Ninth 

THE  HATE  THAT  STEALS        ....     June  Tenth 

FRIENDLY  OFFERINGS June  Eleventh 

A  FREQUENT  CURE June  Twelfth 

THE  POET June  Thirteenth 

SPREAD  IT June  Fourteenth 

FORTUNE June  Fifteenth 

THE  DAILY  WORD June  Sixteenth 

THE  TREE June  Seventeenth 

OAK  OR  LILY June  Eighteenth 

SIGH  NOT June  Nineteenth 

A  GOODLY  CHOICE June  Twentieth 

THE  DAY June  Twenty-first 

THE  TRIPLE  HOLD       ....  June  Twenty-second 

SHEER  WASTE June  Twenty-third 

ACHIEVEMENT June  Twenty-fourth 

THE  CLIMBER June  Twenty-fifth 

THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW  .      .      .    June  Twenty-sixth 
THE  BURDEN-BEARER  .      .      .       June  Twenty-seventh 

EVER  YOUNG June  Twenty-eighth 

SAFETY-DEPOSIT  VAULTS    .     .      .    June  Twenty-ninth 


CONTENTS 


JULY         .... 

FREEDOM 
WILL        .      . 
THE  EXCESS 
THE  TEST     .      . 
INSURANCE 
A  PLEASANT  GAME 
THE  POINT  OF  VIEW 
THE  ACCOUNTING 


July  Second 
July  Third 
July  Fourth 
.  July  Fifth 
.  July  Sixth 
July  Seventh 
July  Eighth 
July  Ninth 
July  Tenth 


"•-— " July  Eleventh 

INDEPENDENCE july  Twelfth 

SATISFACTION Juiy  Thirteenth 

OUT  OF  THE  STORM July  Fourteenth 

IHE  IMMORTAL  THING       ....      July  Fifteenth 

A  RESOLUTION Juiy  Sixteenth 

AGE-PROOF July  Seventeenth 

IN  AND  OUT July  Eighteenth 

LlFE July  Nineteenth 

THE  THOUGHT-GARDEN      ....     July  Twentieth 

THE  CALL July  Twenty-first 

THE  OPEN  ROAD July  Twenty-second 

THE  WORLD July  Twenty-third 

EXTERNALS July  Twenty-fourth 

THE  BUILDER July  Twenty-fifth 

SELF-APPROVAL July  Twenty-sixth 

THE  QUESTION         July  Twenty-seventh 

LOOK  UP! July  Twenty-eighth 

As  TO  QUESTIONS July  Twenty-ninth 

IMPERISHABLE July  Thirtieth 

WILLING  TARGETS        ....        July  Thirty-first 

AUGUST August  First 

A  LIBRARY  OF  DAYS August  Second 

RATIONS August  Third 

As  TO  NIGHTMARES August  Fourth 

BROTHERS  ALL        August  Fifth 

A  SHORT  CUT August  Sixth 

WORTH  WTHILE August  Seventh 

A  PARALLEL August  Eighth 

ODDS  AND  ENDS August  Ninth 

DEMAND  AND  SUPPLY August  Tenth 

THE  FAULT        August  Eleventh 

ETERNAL  YOUTH August  Twelfth 

FORTUNE August  Thirteenth 

LOCKED  IN August  Fourteenth 

MIST        ...  August  Fifteenth 


CONTENTS 

A  FOOLISH  PLAINT August  Sixteenth 

GOOD-WILL August  Seventeenth 

YIELD  NOT August  Eighteenth 

VAULTING  AMBITION     ....     August  Nineteenth 

SAILING August  Twentieth 

IDLE August  Twenty-first 

JOY  o'  LIVING August  Twenty-second 

REACTIONS  OF  RHYME       .      .     .  August  Twenty-third 

As  TO  CLAY August  Twenty-fourth 

DEATHLESS August  Twenty-fifth 

A  DIVISION         August  Twenty-sixth 

WEATHER-PROOF      ....    August  Twenty-seventh 
YESTERDAY,  TO-DAY,  AND  TO-MORROW 

August  Twenty-eighth 

MOLDING August  Twenty-ninth 

THE  BEE August  Thirtieth 

SUMMER  PASSES August  Thirty-first 

SEPTEMBER  FIRST September  First 

SWIM  OUT September  Second 

THE  DOCTOR September  Third 

SUSPICIOUS September  Fourth 

GHOSTS September  Fifth 

THE  RIVER September  Sixth 

THE  PHCENIX September  Seventh 

A  SUGGESTION September  Eighth 

MY  LOVES September  Ninth 

As  TO  CERTAIN  DOSES      ....  September  Tenth 
THE  WISE  SPENDTHRIFT    .      .      .    September  Eleventh 

THE  INGREDIENTS September  Twelfth 

THE  WINNER September  Thirteenth 

THE  SAILOR September  Fourteenth 

THE  JOY  OF  BEING      ....   September  Fifteenth 
FREE  GIFTS        .  ....   September  Sixteenth 

THE  STANDARD  OF  MEASUREMENT  September  Seventeenth 

MOTORS         September  Eighteenth 

A  PLEASANT  NOTION    .      .      .      September  Nineteenth 

SOUL-SCULPTURE September  Twentieth 

OVERLOOKED September  Twenty-first 

TOLERANCE September  Twenty-second 

KNOTS September  Twenty-third 

As  TO  ENEMIES       .      .      .       September  Twenty-fourth 

GOOD  SAILING September  Twenty-fifth 

A  DREAM? September  Twenty-sixth 

FOOLS  AND  SAGES  .      .      .     September  Twenty-seventh 
WHAT'S  YOUR  HURRY?      .     .  September  Twenty-eighth 

TELLING  TIME September  Twenty-ninth 

ALL  THE  SAME September  Thirtieth 


CONTENTS 

?CT0^ER        .........  October  First 


obeT 

r>  ......  October  1  hird 

R°AD    ........      October  Fourth 

COMPANY       .......  October  Fifth 

GREETINGS    .........  October  g^ 

F.  REITION       ........     October  Seventh 

A  ROBBERY        .......      October  Eim 

OAK  OR  ACORN        .......  Octobcr  Ninth 

TSTED     .........       October  Tenth 


THE  BLIND  MAN    ......    October  Twelfth 

ALTERNATIONS    ......      October  Thirteenth 

IHE  BEST  AVAILABLE        .      .      .     October  Fourteenth 
THE  PAINTER     .......  Octobcr  Fifteenth 

THE  REAL  GENIUS       .....  October  Sixteenth 

THE  OLD  THINGS    ....          October  Seventeenth 

A  USEFUL  WHIM     .....      October  Eighteenth 

WAITING        .......     October  Nineteenth 

FRIEND  AND  ENEMY     ....      October  Twentieth 

PRACTICE       .......  October  Twenty-first 

A  RECEIPT    ......     October  Twenty-second 

POISON     .......       October  Twenty-third 

AN  EPITAPH        .....     October  Twenty-fourth 

THE  UNIVERSAL  LANGUAGE    .      .  October  Twenty-fifth 
MY  SONG      ......       Octobcr  Twenty-sixth 

A  REFLECTION  .....    October  Twenty-seventh 

THE  GAMBLER   .....      October  Twenty-eighth 

THE  GIFT  OF  TIME      .      .      .      October  Twenty-ninth 
GOOD  TRAINING       ......  October  Thirtieth 

AN  IMPROVEMENT    .....    October  Thirty-first 

GLAD  NOVEMBER    ......    November  First 

THE  SMALL  POTATO     ....       November  Second 

TRANSFERRED  ROSES    .....  November  Third 

LANDS  OF  PROMISE       ....       November  Fourth 

THE  EXPLORER       ......    November  Fifth 

THE  WHIMSICAL  PHILOSOPHER    .      .    November  Sixth 
CO-OPERATION    ......      November  Seventh 

MORNING,  NOON,  AND  NIGHT      .      .  November  Eighth 
UNIMPAIRED        .......  November  Ninth 

To  THE  UNKNOWN  FRIEND    .      .     .  November  Tenth 
THORNS  AND  ROSES     ....     November  Eleventh 

THE  SCHOOL  OF  LIFE        .      .      .      November  Twelfth 
UP       ........        November  Thirteenth 

THE  BETTER  PLAN       .     .      .       November  Fourteenth 
MOTHER  EARTH       .....    November  Fifteenth 

IMAGINARY  TROUBLE    ....   November  Sixteenth 


CONTENTS 

A  REVERSIBLE  HEART  .  .  November  Seventeenth 
HEAD  AND  HEART  .  .  .  November  Eighteenth 

IN  DEFEAT November  Nineteenth 

THE  TRUER  JOY      ....        November  Twentieth 

THE  SYMBOL November  Twenty-first 

OUT  OF  THE  DEPTHS  .  .  November  Twenty-second, 
THE  DAILY  HARVEST  .  .  November  Twenty-third 
THE  JOY  OF  HOPING  .  .  November  Twenty-fourth 

PUZZLES November  Twenty-fifth 

THANKSGIVING    ....         November  Twenty-sixth 

ACTION November  Twenty-seventh 

A  PREFERENCE  .  .  .  November  Twenty-eighth 
THE  WISDOM  OF  THE  MOTH  November  Twenty-ninth 
THE  THING  THAT  COUNTS  .  .  November  Thirtieth 

THE  ICY  ROAD December  First 

MIRRORS December  Second 

THE  HUMOROUS  PHILOSOPHER     .      .    December  Third 

ALLIES December  Fourth 

OUT  OF  THE  MURK December  Fifth 

THE  CUP December  Sixth 

AT  SUNSET December  Seventh 

THE  WILLING  WILL December  Eighth 

A  WAR  IMPRESSION December  Ninth 

EARNINGS December  Tenth 

THE  WEATHER-MAKER       .      .      .     December  Eleventh 

A  QUERY December  Twelfth 

A  RESOLVE December  Thirteenth 

THE  OVERBURDENED    .      .      .        December  Fourteenth 

THE  DANCE December  Fifteenth 

THE  THIEF December  Sixteenth 

CLEARING  THE  WAY  .  .  .  December  Seventeenth 
IN  THE  WTOODS  ....  December  Eighteenth 

SANCTUARY December  Nineteenth 

As  TO  HEAVEN December  Twentieth 

SPACE  AND  TIME     ....     December  Twenty-first 

STAR-LED December  Twenty-second 

MY  GIFT December  Twenty-third 

THE  CHRISTMAS  SPIRIT      .      .  December  Twenty-fourth 

SANTA  CLAUS December  Twenty-fifth 

THE  AFTERMATH  ....  December  Twenty-sixth 
Now  AND  HERE  ....  December  Twenty-seventh 
PLEASANT  THINKING  .  .  .  December  Twenty-eighth 
IF,  BUT,  AND  WHY  .  .  .  December  Twenty-ninth 

THE  REFUGE December  Thirtieth 

A  PARTING  GIFT     ....      December  Thirty-first 


THE  NEW-BORN  YEAR 


now  a  smiling  New-Born  Year 
To  fill  to-day  with  goodly  cheer  — 
An  infant  hale  and  lusty. 
Upon  our  door-sill  he  is  left 
By  Daddy  Time,  of  clothes  bereft 

Despite  the  season  gusty. 
If  he  be  Churl  or  doughty  Knight, 
A  Son  of  Darkness  or  of  Light 

No  man  can  tell,  God  bless  him! 
But  be  he  base  or  glorious 
Time  puts  it  wholly  up  to  us 
To  dress  him! 


January  First 


WATCH  OUT! 

T  OOK  on  the  lovely  things  of  life 

And  gain 
Relief  from  ugliness,  and  strife, 

And  pain, 
Forgetting  not  that  things  of  stress 

Are  there, 
And  need  your  constant  watchfulness 

And  care. 


January  Second 


THRO'  THE  DEPTHS 

/^\VERHEAD  the  winds  are  sweeping, 
^>^  Underneath  the  fields  are  sleeping. 
Overhead  the  ice  is  gleaming, 
Underneath  the  rills  are  dreaming. 
Overhead  the  clouds  are  piling, 
But  beyond  the  skies  are  smiling. 
Overhead  the  snow  is  falling, 
Yet  I  hear  soft  voices  calling 
To  my  soul,  thro'  winter  groping, 
Bidding  me  to  keep  on  hoping, 
For  that  thro'  such  chill  as  this  is, 
Thro'  the  arctical  abysses, 
Nature  leads  her  sons  and  daughters 
On  to  springtime's  sunny  waters. 


January  Third 


LUCK  AND  PLUCK 


Luck  and  Pluck 
Lies  but  a  letter  — 
Right  good  is  Luck, 

But  Pluck  is  better. 
For  Luck  you  sit 

And  wait  his  wooing, 
But  Pluck  means  Grit, 
And  Something  Doing. 


January  Fourth 


PERSISTENCE 

A    STURDY  soul  was  that  one  who, 

By  Fortune  sadly  tricked, 
Deep  in  the  mesh  of  woe  and  rue 
Went  smiling  on  and  never  knew 

Or  guessed  that  he'd  been  licked: 
And,  knowing  not  his  evil  fate, 
Just  grinned  when  Fortune  slammed  the 

gate, 

And  fearless  of  all  slip  or  fall 
Won  out  by  climbing  o'er  the  wall! 


January  Fifth 


VAIN 

VK7HEN  coming  face  to  face 

With  sordid  things  and  base, 
With  trouble  and  with  care, 

'Twere  vain  to  say 

In  careless  way 
That  they're  not  really  there. 
Yet  it  were  vainer  still 
To  judge  the  whole  world  ill 
Because  of  sordid  woes — 

The  mire  of  earth 

Destroys  nor  worth 
Nor  glory  of  the  Rose! 


January  Sixth 


LOVE'S  BLINDNESS 

f   OVE'S  not  so  blind  as  he's  supposed  to  be. 

There's  precious  little  that  he  cannot  see, 

And   all  his  vaunted    and    much-talked-of 

blindness 
Is  nothing  more  than  his  eternal  Kindness. 

He  sees  our  faults,  nor  fails  to  recognize 

them 

The  very  minute  that  his  optic  spies  them; 
But  being  Love,  he  neither  notes  nor  books 

them— 
He  takes  them  as  they  are,  and  overlooks  them. 


January  Seventh 


IMMUNE 

HPHE  weather?    What's  weather  to  me? 

'Tis  little  I  care  for  the  rain, 
The  turbulent  wrath  of  the  sea, 
Or  tempests  that  beat  on  the  pane. 

Right  little  care  I  for  the  storm 
With  all  of  its  roaring  and  din — 

My  heart  and  my  spirit  are  warm 
With  sunshine  I  carry  within. 


January  Eighth 


THE  STARS 

VKTHENCE  come  the  stars,    and   where 

they  go 

I  must  confess  I  do  not  know, 
And  what  is  more  I  do  not  care — 
'Tis  quite  enough  to  know  they're  there 
Like  friendly  spirits  in  the  sky^ 
That  smile  and  wink  a  merry  eye 
On  you  and  me,  and  with  their  gleam 
Make  all  the  world  more  genial  seem. 


January  Ninth 


THE  SOURCE 

TF  there  is  not  some  Fount  of  Love 

Somewhere  in  this  great  Universe, 
Whence  comes  the  joyous  treasure-trove, 

As  from  some  boundless  open  purse, 
That  fills  the  heart  of  man  with  peace, 

And  mitigates  the  sting  of  woe, 
And  sends  him  smiling  o'er  life's  seas 

Whatever  adverse  winds  may  blow? 


January  Tenth 


THE  EVER-YOUNG 

OINCE  1  have  learned  the  fact  so  true 
That  with  each  day  I'm  born  anew, 
And  with  each  dawn  a  day  of  cheer 
Begins  another,  fresher,  year, 
I've  felt  as  young  as  any  boy 
\Yho  greets  the  sunny  hours  with  joy, 
And  plod  my  path  with  youthful  zest, 
And  wait  the  end  with  interest. 


January  Eleventh 


THE  FURNISHINGS 

dwell  within  ourselves,  and  that  is 

why 

'Tis  well  that  inner  Self  to  beautify; 
To   furnish   it   with   kindly   thoughts,    and 

strive 

To  keep  the  soul  of  Fellowship  alive; 
To  sweep  out  ugliness,  and  place 
Where'er  we  can  such  articles  of  grace 
That  when  we  sit  within  our  eyes  will  find 
On  every  side  things  of  a  cheery  kind. 


January  Twelfth 


COMPENSATION 

TUST  as  I  know 
*^    When  gripped  by  ice  and  snow 
Off  to  the  south  'mid  sunny  hours 
Bloom  lovely  flowers, 
So  in  the  cares  that  do  beset 
There  comes  to  ease  days  of  regret 
The  knowledge  sure  that  in  my  pain 
Somehow,  somewhere,  I'll  find  some  gain 
To  compensate  me  and  relieve 
The  sting  and  smart  of  things  that  grieve. 


January  Thirteenth 


THE  GUEST 

HPHE  happiest  chap  I  ever  met, 
The  freest  of  all  dark  regret, 
Was  one  who  deemed  his  days  to  be 
A  gift  of  hospitality 
With  God  his  Host;  and  as  His  guest 
Viewed  everything  with  interest. 
And  like  a  grateful  visitor 
Who  wished  to  even  up  the  score, 
Did  all  he  could  both  day  and  night 
To  give  his  fellow-guests  delight. 


January  Fourteenth 


POSSESSION  FIRST 


yOU  have  not 
You  can't  bestow, 
No  matter  what 

Of  joy  or  woe. 
So  if  you'd  be 

A  fount  of  light, 
Your  mind  hold  free 

Of  thoughts  of  night. 
And  if  of  cheer 

You'd  be  the  source, 
You'd  better  steer 

The  sunny  course. 


January  Fifteenth 


WINTER  ROSES 

HPHE  Rose-trees  of  the  Garden  sleep, 
And  snowy  drifts  their  vigils  keep, 
But  other  Roses  rare  there  be 
That  never  bloomed  on  any  tree — 
The  Rose  of  Hope,  the  Roses  good 
Of  Hearts  that  bloom  in  Brotherhood, 
And  blossoms  pure  that  scent  the  air 
With  Sympathy  and  loving  Care, 
And  as  their  petals  soft  unroll 
Disclose  the  beauty  of  the  soul. 


January  Sixteenth 


A  MATTER  OF  TASTE 

TF  anything  on  all  this  earth 

Is  useless  past  compare 
It  is  to  waste  one  hour  of  worth 

On  some  stale  bit  of  care. 
If  Fate's  to  catch  me  in  some  mesh 
I  hope  at  least  it  will  be  fresh. 


RADIATION 

'"PC  fill  the  world  with  happiness, 

And  ease  it  of  the  stir  of  stress, 

Begin 

Within— 

Make  it  your  sure  resolve  and  plan 
To  be  as  happy  as  You  can, 
And  when  your  heart  is  brimming  o'er, 
So  full  it  cannot  handle  more, 
By  radiation  let  it  rise 
In  word,  and  deed,  and  kindly  eyes, 
Till  others  round  about  you  share 
The  fruitage  of  your  jocund  air. 


January  Eighteenth 


RICH  AND  POOR 

'IIT'HAT'S  being  rich  but  chance  to  share? 
What's    being   poor   but   naught    to 

spare? 

Millions  may  lie  in  chests  secure 
Yet  leave  the  holder  deadly  poor 
Since  he  hath  not  the  will  to  give 
That  others  may  more  fitly  live, 
And  empty  pockets  richer  be 
Allied  with  love  and  sympathy. 


January  Nineteenth 


THE  PASSWORD 

VK7HAT  is  the  password  of  the  day? 

CHEER,  be  it  sunny,  dark,  or  gray. 
If  cloud  or  sunshine,  cold  or  hot; 
If  bleak  or  smiling — matters  not, 
For  all  is  fair  along  the  way 
When  CHEER'S  the  password  of  the  day. 


January  Twentieth 


THE  GOSSIPER 


would  quite  harmless  be 
If  the  stories  that  we  tell 
Were  of  virtues  that  we  see 

In  the  folks  that  round  us  dwell; 
If  the  news  we  spread  were  of 

All  the  good  things  that  we  hear, 
Things  of  kindness  and  of  love, 
Things  of  helpfulness  and  cheer. 

If  a  gossip  I  must  be 

That's  the  kind,  I'm  sure,  for  me. 


January  Twenty-first 


MY  PRAYER 

T  ASK  not  change  of  wind  and  tide 
To  suit  the  course  I'm  sailing, 
But  that  the  tempest  I  may  ride 

With  confidence  unfailing; 
That  spite  of  storm  and  hurricane, 

And  all  the  sea's  demurrage, 
Whate'er  betide  me  on  the  main 

I'll  meet  with  proper  courage. 


January  Twenty-second 


EXPOSED 

HPHE  Wolf  was  standing  at  my  door, 

Indulging  in  a  fearsome  roar, 
But  when  he  knocked  it  pleased  my  whim 
To  go  outside  and  grapple  him; 
And  as  we  fought  he  gave  a  cough 
And  shivered,  and  his  skin  came  off, 
And  who  do  you  think  he  chanced  to  be? 
No  one  but  OPPORTUNITY, 
Right  there  before  my  very  eyes 
Hid  underneath  that  wolfish  guise! 


January  Twenty-third 


SHIPMATES 

A  S  Life  tells  me  to  set  my  sail, 
"^      So  shall  my  canvas  e'er  be  spread, 
That  through  the  hurricane  and  gale 
My  sturdy  craft  shall  forge  ahead. 

If  I  have  Hope  to  hold  the  helm, 
And  Faith  and  Love  to  lay  my  course, 

No  storm  that  comes  can  overwhelm, 
No  seas  o'erpower  me  with  their  force. 

And  sailing  onward,  ever  on, 

Whatever  tempests  fierce  may  rage, 

I  know  with  these  for  Mates  anon 
I'll  come  to  Port  and  anchorage. 


January  Twenty-fourth 


THE  BLUES 

\/OU  seek  to  know  if  I  am  ever  blue, 

And  I  the  truth  will  whisper  unto  you — 
I  always  am!     I'm  blue  as  summer  skies 
That  smile  on  me.    I'm  blue  as  those  blue 

eyes 

That  flash  to  other  eyes  the  glint  of  joy 
That  ever  springs  from  love  without  alloy. 
I'm  blue  as  any  happy  Bluebird  there 
High  in  the  radiance  of  the  morning  air 

Who  sings 

The  while  he  soars  the  sky  on  outstretched 
wings ; 

And  mark  ye,  too, 
I'm  blue 

As  ever  was  a  violet  held  close 
Unto  the  heart  of  some  fair  human  rose 

January  Twenty-fifth 


Sent  by  a  lover  to  his  Heart's  Desire; 
And  blue  am  I  as  the  deep  sapphire 
Of  sparkling  seas  that  glitter  in  the  light 
Of   some   rare   day  emerged  from   stormy 
night. 


January  Twenty-fifth 


GOOD  AND  EVIL 

T  LOOKED  about  for  Ugliness, 

And  found  it,  sure  enough — 
I  truly  did  not  have  to  press 

To  find  the  sorry  stuff; 
But  I  discovered  everywhere 

I  cast  my  eager  eyes, 
Despite  the  uglinesses,  there 

Were  lovely  things  likewise. 

If  there  were  weeds,  some  flower  nigh 

Was  always  to  be  seen, 
And  where  some  cloud  obscured  the  sky 

The  earth  was  lushly  green; 
And  tears  had  laughter  playing  round, 

And  once  amid  the  blur 
And  murk  of  crime-rid  hearts  I  found 

The  gold  of  Character. 

January  Twenty-sixth 


THE  BORROWERS 

A  LOT  of  good  fellows  I  meet  on  my  way 
"^  Rely  on  To-morrow  to  help  out  To-day. 
They  squander  the  present  and  dream  that 

somehow 
To-morrow  will  settle  the  debts  of  the  Now. 

An  easy  old  method  to  pay  off  a  debt, 
But  he  is  a  person  less  prey  to  regret 
Who  out  of  the  future  refuses  to  borrow 
And  makes  his  To-day  meet  the  needs  of 
To-morrow. 


January  Twenty-seventh 


THE  RICH  MAN 

T  HAVE  few  pence,  but  stores  of  health. 
I  hold  no  bonds,  but  hosts  of  friends, 
And  that  I  deem  the  sort  of  wealth 

That  never  ends. 
I've  love  aplenty,  and  good  will 
Enough  the  whole  wide  world  to  fill, 
So  why  should  I  be  full  of  care 
Because  I'm  not  a  billionaire? 


January  Twenty-eighth 


CHEER  UP! 

OMALL    is    your    place,    unknown    your 
name; 

You  plod  along  your  toilsome  way 
With  ne'er  a  hope  of  winning  fame — 

And  yet,  who  knows  what  coming  day 
May  crown  your  plodding  and  redeem 
The  glories  lost  of  which  you  dream? 
Rich  prizes  wait  on  high  desires, 
And  smallest  sparks  start  greatest  fires. 


January  Twenty-ninth 


LIGHT  AND  SHADOW 

ACROSS  the  scene  a  shadow  lay, 
A  cloud  obscured  the  loving  sky, 
And  all  seemed  cold,  and   dull,  and   gray 
To  the  despairing  eye. 

But  in  my  heart  was  song  and  cheer, 

And  e'en  though  dark  my  day  was  fair- 
That  very  shadow  eased  my  fear— 
'Twas  proof  the  sun  was  there! 


January  Thirtieth 


THE  TREASURE-CHEST 

VX/1IAT  are  the  numbered  years  to  me? 

Each  one  a  golden  treasury 
Of  riches  stored  in  Memory. 

A  Treasure-chest  of  Hopes  and  Fears, 
Of  Merry  Laughter  and  of  Tears, 
All  mellowed  by  the  passing  years. 

A  veritable  treasure-trove 

Of  Cheer,  and  fabrics  fairly  wove 

Of  strands  of  Friendship  and  of  Love. 


Jan  nary  Th  irty -first 


THE   DESIGN 

pEBRUARY,  to  my  mind 

By  old  Chronos  was  designed 
As  a  sort  of  time  in  which 
Mortals  very  far  from  rich 
Might  observe  the  truth  that  though 
All  is  murk  and  slush  below, 
All  is  bleak  and  cold  and  mean, 
Still  the  Heavens  are  serene, 
And  the  sun  shines  just  as  clear 
As  when  summer's  days  are  here, 
Giving  light  and  promise  of 
Life's  abundant  stores  of  Love. 


February  First 


POSSESSIONS 

nnHOU  hast  no  Art? 

The  glowing  pictures  of  the  land  and  sea 
In  all  their  beauty  rich  belong  to  thee. 

Thou  hast  no  song? 
The  madrigals  of  singing  birds  divine 
If  thou  hast  ears  to  hear  are  wholly  thine. 

Thou  hast  no  lands? 

Thou  hast  thy  space,  and  truly  in  the  end 
Midas    himself    shall    have    no    more,    my 
friend. 

Thou  hast  no  wealth? 

The  sun  by  day,  and  all  the  stars  that  shine, 
The  living  light,  and  love  of  God  are  thine! 

February  Second 


A    CHAP  I  knew  once  waited  for 
•^*  A  ship  that  never  reached  the  shore, 
And  Fame  and  Fortune  failed  to  win 
Because  his  ship  did  not  come  in. 
But  there  was  also  one  I  knew 
Who  had  a  ship  he  waited,  too, 
And  when  she  failed  to  come,  why  he 
Jumped  overboard  and  swam  the  sea. 

He  swam  and  swam  and  swam  away, 
He  swam  by  night,  he  swam  by  day, 
Until  he  reached  the  Port  wherein 
Lay  all  the  things  he  sought  to  win; 
And,  'stead  of  one,  had  several  ships 
Engaged  in  making  many  trips 
To  land  upon  his  native  shore 
What  others  lost  by  waiting  for. 

February   Third 


THE  PLAN 


c 


"HANGEABLE  the  days  may  be, 
>"/  But  what's  that  to  you  and  me, 
Thirsting  for  variety? 

Little  touch  of  spring  to-day 
Hinting  of  the  coming  May — 
Then  a  snap  of  winter  gray. 


Now  it's  hot,  and  now  it's  cold, 
Sullen  skies,  and  skies  of  gold, 
Timid  zephyrs,  breezes  bold. 

Hold  your  plaint,  O  Mr.  Man! 
Can't  you  see  'tis  Nature's  plan 
Just  to  please  us  if  she  can? 


February  Fourth 


THE   SURE  SUN 

"I/VTHEN  days  are  dark  I  do  not  chide  the 

sun 

With  cavilings  and  carpings  without  end; 
But  blame  the  clouds  as  I  should  blame  the 

one 

Who  tries  to  come  between  me  and  my 
friend. 

I  know  the  sun  is  there,  and  shines  as  true 
As  if  no  mists  had  risen  to  obscure, 

And  soon  or  late  will  burst  upon  my  view, 
Sure  as  the  love  of  my  true  friend  is  sure. 


February  Fifth 


WANTED 

please  me  much  if  I  could  see 
An  accurate  Geography 
That  showed  the  City  of  Content, 
And  how  to  reach  the  Continent 
Of  Happy  Days  through  Ports  of  Cheer, 
The  Hills  of  Joy  uprising  near 
Whence  streams  of  Human  Love  run  down 
To  meet  the  sea  at  Friendlitown, 
Where  all  men  live  in  peace  together, 
Regardless  of  the  style  of  weather. 


February  Sixth 


EXCHANGES 

to-day  let's  swap  our  cares — 
I'll  take  yours  and  you  take  mine; 
I  your  pitfalls,  you  my  snares — 
Let's  all  do  it  down  the  line. 

Pauper  take  the  rich  man's  woe; 

Serf  assume  the  Monarch's  crown; 
Magnate  on  the  highway  go 

Meek  and  lowly,  trodden  down. 

Not  much  gained?     Well,  maybe  not — 
But  it  somehow  seems  to  me 

On  all  sides  we'd  find  a  lot 
Of  good  healthy  sympathy! 


February  Seventh 


TO  FEBRUARY 

may  be  full  of  mush  and  slush, 
O  bleak  old  February, 
And  Poets  seldom  o'er  you  gush, 
Your  moods  so  often  vary; 

Yet  matters  not  how  you  behave 

I  love  you,  for  I'm  thinkin' 
We  all  should  bless  the  month  that  gave 
Us  WASHINGTON  and  LINCOLN! 


February  Eighth 


THE  HEART  OF  YOUTH 

T   LITTLE  care  how  folks  may  laugh 
And  cover  me  with  sneering  chaff, 
Because  in  these  my  latter  days 
I  fondly  cling  to  childish  ways, 
Since  he  who  keeps  childhood  in  view, 
And  to  its  purity  is  true, 
And  holds  the  high  faith  of  a  boy 
In  things  of  laughter  and  of  joy, 
Can  ne'er  grow  old,  and  finds  no  fears 
Of  age  in  his  increase  of  years. 


February  Ninth 


MY  WORK 

TV/fY  work  is  not  mine  enemy 

•*•          That  I  must  fight  and  put  to  rout, 

But  rather  friend  in  whom  I  see 

A  comrade  true  to  help  me  out. 
I  meet  it,  therefore,  as  I  would 

A  cherished  brother,  and  I  try 
To  prove  it  excellently  good, 

And  greet  it  with  a  smiling  eye — 
And  since  I've  made  my  task  my  pard 
I've  never  really  found  it  hard. 


February  Tenth 


PROFIT-SHARING 

TF  so  it  be 

Life  has  been  good  to  thee, 
And  has  filled  up 
With  golden  joy  thy  cup, 
Let  others  share 
That  teeming  content  there, 
And  thus  thy  store 
Will  be  increased  the  more — 
Thy  joys  divide 
And  find  them  multiplied. 


February  Eleventh 


LINCOLN 

''PHE   good  clean  strength  of  one  whose 

soul 

Held  all  the  gold  of  self-control 
Amid  the  clash  of  fiery  stress, 
Yet  all  devoid  of  selfishness. 

A  mind  of  high  resolve,  and  clear, 
That  held  no  flaw,  or  dross  of  fear, 
When  purpose  true  impelled  the  deed 
To  serve  his  fellow-man  in  need. 

A  heart  of  loving  cheer  and  grace 
That  nothing  held  of  mean  or  base, 
And  open  as  the  heavens  free 
To  all  who  suffered  misery. 

February  Twelfth 


Time  hath  no  measure,  yet  I  dare 
Upon  this  day  we  hold  so  fair 
To  measure  it  by  Lincoln's  fame 
As  being  deathless  as  his  name! 


February  Twelfth 


LINCOLN 

''PHE   good  clean  strength  of  one  whose 

soul 

Held  all  the  gold  of  self-control 
Amid  the  clash  of  fiery  stress, 
Yet  all  devoid  of  selfishness. 

A  mind  of  high  resolve,  and  clear, 
That  held  no  flaw,  or  dross  of  fear, 
When  purpose  true  impelled  the  deed 
To  serve  his  fellow-man  in  need. 

A  heart  of  loving  cheer  and  grace 
That  nothing  held  of  mean  or  base, 
And  open  as  the  heavens  free 
To  all  who  suffered  misery. 

February  Twelfth 


Time  hath  no  measure,  yet  I  dare 
Upon  this  day  we  hold  so  fair 
To  measure  it  by  Lincoln's  fame 
As  being  deathless  as  his  name! 


February  Twelfth 


TRANSFORMATION 

T  LIKE  the  man  who  takes  the  stones 

Upon  his  rocky  road 
With  smiling  lips  instead  of  groans, 

Whate'er  his  heavy  load 
Who  seizes  each  as  on  he  goes, 

And  neatly  crumbles  it, 
And  turns  his  share  of  pebbly  woes 

To  stores  of  inner  grit. 


February  Fifteenth 


APPRECIATION 

TT  may  be  true  that  beggars  lie — 
But  so  perhaps  would  you  and  I 
If  we  were  vexed  with  want  as  they 
Who  wander  on  their  hopeless  way. 
At  any  rate,  or  false  and  true, 
I  never  look  their  stories  through, 
But  pay  them  for  the  tale  they  tell, 
And  if  forsooth  they  do  it  well 
Throw  in  an  extra  bit  to  show 
That,  if  it  be  romance  or  no, 
A  moving  tale  I  ever  hold 
Worth  its  reward  if  fitly  told. 


February  Sixteenth 


MR.  JOY 

Joy  he  is  the  strangest  thing 
That  ever  I  did  see. 
He  turns  his  back  on  Prince  and  King 
To  dwell  with  you  and  me. 

To  palaces  he  seldom  goes, 
Where  pomp  and  power  strut, 

Yet  often  stops  to  warm  his  toes 
In  some  poor  peasant's  hut. 

For  gilded  halls  he  doesn't  care, 
And  rich  foods  leave  him  flat, 

But  on  the  humblest  sort  of  fare 
He  blooms,  and  waxes  fat. 


February  Seventeenth 


AN  ABSURDITY 

HPHE  world's  a  school  that  teaches  us 

Full  many  a  lesson  glorious. 
It  teaches  love,  and  how  to  bear 
The  burden  of  oppressive  care; 
How  to  forget,  how  to  forgive — 
In  short,  it  teaches  how  to  live. 

Yet  there  be  those  who  tell  us  that 
'Tis  all  for  nothing,  stale  and  flat; 
That,  having  learned  to  live,  we  press 
From  Being  into  Nothingness, 
And  out  of  all  our  stress  have  won 
The  blessing  of — Oblivion! 

As  if  the  grandeur  of  our  days, 
And  all  the  wonder  of  our  bays, 

February  Eighteenth 


And  all  the  splendid  things  that  Man 
Has  built  up  since  the  World  began 
Were  just  a  bit  of  idle  chaff 
To  make  some  dullard  Devil  laugh! 


February  Eighteenth 


THE  UNFATHOMABLE 

T   CAN'T  explain  the  mysteries 

That  bring  fruition  to  the  trees, 
But  well  I  know  their  fruit  is  fair 
And  seek  the  golden  bounty  there. 

I  do  not  comprehend  the  hills 
That  shield  me  from  the  Arctic  ills, 
But  when  the  blasts  of  winter  press 
I  seek  their  sheltering  friendliness. 

So  with  my  God.     The  mind  of  me 
Cannot  unfold  Infinity, 
Yet  I  can  seize  upon  the  good 
Of  His  immortal  Fatherhood! 


February  Nineteenth 


THE  LADDER  AND  THE  LIGHT 

TTOPE,    Smiling   Cheer,   and   Love,   and 

Will- 
Four  rungs  upon  my  ladder  are 

On  which  in  face  of  every  ill 
I  wend  my  way  up  to  my  star. 

Each  firmly  fixed  holds  me  secure 
As  to  the  gleaming  heights  I  rise, 

And  makes  my  daily  progress  sure 
With  Faith  the  light  before  my  eyes. 


February  Twentieth 


GARNERED  SWEETS 

A  S  bees  their  honey  store, 
So  shall  I  store  to-day 
Until  the  hive  runs  o'er 

The  sweets  that  come  my  way, 
That  I  and  friends  of  mine 

In  days  of  gloomy  weather 
May  sit  us  down  and  dine 
Upon  their  joys  together. 


February  Twenty-first 


A  NEW  BEGINNING 


if  yesterday  holds  mistakes, 
A  record  full  of  qualms  and  quakes? 
To-day  hath  come,  a  page  pure  white, 
Whereon  your  errors  you  may  right. 
It  lies  before  you  clean  and  fair 
With  smiling  invitation  there 
To  start  anew,  and  smooth  away 
The  sad  mischance  of  Yesterday. 


February  Twenty-fourth 


A  GOODLY  GIFT 

WERE  I  to  pray  for  some  rare  gift 
To  help  me  through  life's  varied  shift, 
'T would  be  the  gift  at  once  to  say 
What  things  may  cheer  my  brother's  way, 
And  hold  myself  completely  dumb 
When  sneers  and  biting  phrases  come 
To  visit  on  my  friend's  distress, 
Just  to  display  my  cleverness. 


February  Twenty-fifth 


THE  SELF-MADE  MAN 

1LJE  said  he  was  a  Self-made  Man, 
And  yet  I  fear  he  stole  the  plan, 
For  truly,  far  as  I  could  see, 
He  differed  not  from  you  and  me, 

Who've  come  to  be 

As  Much  as  he 

The  things  we  are,  for  weal  or  woe, 
For  good  or  ill,  or  high  or  low, 
By  keeping  ever  in  our  view 
The  things  the  ages  point  us  to, 
And  getting  help  from  every  one 
In  every  blessed  thing  we've  done, 
And  not  afraid  a  little  bit 
To  gratefully  acknowledge  it. 


February  Twenty-sixth 


DON'T  WORRY 

"T^ON'T  worry,  Friend,  because  you  are 

not  great. 
The   Road's   more   human   in   the   vales 

below — 
More  laughter,  song,  more  hearts  with  joy 

elate, 

More  freedom  in  life's  ceaseless  ebb  and 
flow. 

Keep  plodding  on  with  smiling  lip  and  eye, 
Nor  vex  your  soul  because  you  may  not 

mount, 
And  o'er  your  smallness  neither  weep  nor 

sigh, 
For,  after  all,  it's  little  things  that  count' 

February  Twenty-seventh 


THE  EDIFICE 

TN  building  up  your  Soul  the  plan  prepare 
With  watchful  foresight  and  with  proper 

care, 
That  it  may  stand  the  storm  and  stress  of 

life, 

And  hold  you  safe  from  evil  and  its  strife. 
Make  Love  the  cornerstone,  and  that  good 

cheer 
May  hold  you  free  from  worry  and  from 

fear, 

Immune  to  all  the  terrors  of  the  night, 
Keep  every  window  open  to  the  light. 


February  Twenty -eighth 


THE  DAY 

A  N  extra  day  from  Time's  full  purse, 
•**•  To  use  for  better  or  for  worse — 
A  meed  of  minutes,  gift  of  light, 
A  pause,  perhaps,  in  Time's  swift  flight 
Wherein  we  may  redeem  the  cost 
Of  wasted  hours  we  have  lost. 


February  Twenty-ninth 


MARCH 

I'VE  watched  old  March  for  many  a  year, 

With  all  her  ways  so  dark  and  drear, 
And  know  full  well  her  wild  barrage 
Of  bluster  is  all  camouflage. 

She  blows  her  blasts  and  ramps  along, 
And  sings  a  mighty  war-like  song, 
But  underneath  her  flaunting  wing 
She  hides  away  the  joys  of  spring. 

And  all  her  temper  melts  away 
Into  the  smiles  of  April's  day 
As  on  her  wayward  course  she  goes 
To  flowers  fresher  for  the  snows. 


March  First 


DEFIANCE 

\7X)U  need  not  think,  black- visaged  Woe, 

that  you 
Can  take  my  soul  and  twist  it  to  your 

whim. 

It  may  be  you  can  force  on  me  the  brew 
Of  bitter  trial  with  your  frowning  grim. 
But  never  while  my  Heart  holds  true  to  cheer 
Can  all  your  venturings  in  deadly  care, 
Or  your  emprises  in  the  realm  of  fear, 
Within     that     smiling      Soul     enthrone 
Despair. 


March  Second 


THE  DWELLING-PLACE 

HPHE  Dwelling-place  of  Light 

Is  not  in  yonder  Sun, 
Nor  in  the  Stars  of  night 

When  day  at  last  is  done, 
But  in  the  Human  Soul 

It  flames  forever  free 
And  cheers  the  Road  of  Dole 

With  Love  and  Sympathy. 


March  Third 


MINE  ENEMY 

HTHE  only  enemy  I  know, 

My  one  and  only  fearsome  foe, 
I  do  conceive  to  be 
That  curious  old  creature  who 
Ne'er  leaves  my  side  whate'er  I  do, 
And  all  men  know  as  ME — 
And  him  I  fight 
Both  day  and  night 
With  all  my  strength  and  weight 
And  do  my  best 
In  every  test 
To  keep  the  fellow  straight. 


PARTNERS 

TN  all  the  rush  and  all  the  roar 

And  all  the  turmoil  and  the  war 
Of  daily  life,  though  'tis  not  clear 
For  what,  and  why,  and  how  we're  here, 
'Tis  good  to  be  a  part  of  it, 
To  strive  with  brawn  and  brain  and  wit, 
And  with  our  powers  overcome 
The  hazards  hard  and  burdensome; 
Since  all  these  burdens  that  we  bear 
In  things  of  trial  and  of  care 
Must  be  for  some  objective  high 
That  we  shall  share  in  by  and  by. 


March  Fifth 


WEEDLESS 

TF  it  be  true  "all  flesh  is  grass," 

As  we  have  oft  been  told, 
And  that  all  withers  and  must  pass 

Before  the  winter's  cold, 
While  I've  my  share  I'm  going  to  see 

To  all  my  grassy  needs, 
And  hold  it  freshly  green,  and  free 

From  all  destructive  weeds. 


March  Sixth 


IN   PROPORTION 

T  KNOW  I'm  not  a  statesman  of  the  type 

of  Washington. 
I  know  I  cannot  do  the  things  that  Edison 

has  done. 
I  know  I  cannot  pen  such  lines  as  Billy 

Shakespeare  writ, 
And  when  compared  to  old  Mark  Twain, 

God  knows  I'm  not  a  wit. 
But  with  the  tools  that  I  have  got — they're 

mighty  small  and  few — 
I  go  about  my  daily  stint,  and   all   I  can 

I  do, 
And  while  I'm  not  renowned  as  those  who 

wear  the  diadem 
I'm  just  as  great  for  little  me  as  they  are 

great  for  them. 

March  Seventh 


A  CHEERFUL  INSTITUTION 

TF  I  had  old  Croesus'  wealth 

I'd  found  a  University 
Where  Souls  could  go  to  study  Health, 
And  Scientific  Amity. 
I'd  have  a  Chair 
On  Handling  Care, 
A  dozen  Teachers  of  Good  Will; 
A  two-year  course 
Upon  the  Force 

Of  Laughter  as  a  Cure  for  111 — 
Lectures  on  Love,  and  Sympathy, 

And  How  to  Grin  When  Days  Are  Drear, 
And  give  a  graduate  degree 
Of  Bachelor  of  Cheer. 


March  Eighth 


A  LONG  QUEST 

I'M  daily  looking  for  a  man 

As  on  my  way  I  go — 
His  features  and  his  general  plan 
I  greatly  wish  to  know. 

He's  never  very  far  away, 
And  yet  we've  never  met — 

He's  been  my  comrade  every  day 
Since  first  my  course  was  set. 

He  is  that  man  inside  o'  me 
That  holds  the  most  of  good 

That  I  myself  some  day  might  be 
If  I  but  understood. 


March  Ninth 


A  MARCH  DAY 

day  was  dark  and  tearful, 
But  I — I  made  it  cheerful 
By  thinking  of  some  other  days 
All  full  of  fair  and  golden  ways 
Whose  memory  had  made  my  path 
Immune  to  things  of  woe  and  wrath, 
And  turned  the  desolated  scene 
Into  a  picture  fresh  and  green, 
As  any  soft  and  springy  time 
Praised  by  the  poet  in  his  rhyme. 


March  Tenth 


MY  FACE 

TF  so  you  do  not  like  my  face 

To  me  it  matters  not. 
Perhaps  it  lacks  all  lines  of  grace, 

But  it's  the  best  I've  got, 
And  if  I  keep  it  lit  with  cheer, 

And  always  smiling-eyed, 
And  unafraid  confronting  fear — 

Why,  I  am  satisfied. 


March  Eleventh 


MODELING 

\\7HEN  Woe  comes  stalking  near 

Imperiling  my  cheer, 
I  bear  it  as  I  must, 
And  view  its  painful  thrust 
As  might  a  marble  block 
That  bears  the  hammer-shock 
Of  him  who  fashions  there 
A  bit  of  sculpture  rare, 
And  patient  wait  to  see 
What's  to  be  made  of  me, 
And  what  life's  modeling 
Out  of  my  soul  will  bring. 


March  Twelfth 


A  GOOD  INVESTMENT 

INVEST  yourself  in  smiling  cheer, 

And  you  will  gain  rich  dividends, 
Paid  every  day  throughout  the  year 

In  kindly  welcome  from  your  friends. 
Man's  capital  is  but  himself, 

And  its  return  is  joy  or  stress, 
So  why  not  choose  the  sweeter  pelf 

That  one  derives  from  friendliness? 


March  Thirteenth 


PROFIT 

with  the  set  of  sun 
I  find  my  duty  done, 
Then  can  I  rest  in  peace 
And  find  in  dreams  increase; 
The  hours  of  night  all  gain, 
Un vexed  by  care  and  pain, 
And  greet  the  new-born  day 
That  follows  on  their  way 
Refreshed,  and  smiling  view 
The  things  that  I  must  do. 


UNREAL  TROUBLES 

TF  I  must  have  an  ill,  may  it  be  real, 

That  I  may  meet  it  eye  to  eye  and  fight, 
And  wheresoever  it  may  strength  reveal 

Get  after  it  with  all  my  main  and  might. 
The  woe  that  but  impends  and  wears  the 

mind 
With   worry   deep   and    most   vexatious 

care, 

Is  harder  fighting  than  the  realler  kind, 
For  when  you  come  to  strike — it  isn't 
there ! 


March  Fifteenth 


FILL  IT 

CING   a   little,   laugh   a   little,    your   fill 

heart  with  cheer. 
Drop  your  worries  and  your  troubles;  drop 

your  gibe  and  sneer. 
Joy  in  all  the  sunny  hours  in  the  morning 

light, 
And  the  starry  wonders  of  the  sparkling 

skies  at  night. 
Look  for  good  in  all  about  you — you  will 

find  it  there. 
God  has  lavished  gifts  of  wondrous  beauty 

everywhere. 
Love  and  Life  and  merry  Laughter — all  of 

these  are  here 
Ready   for   the   taking   if  you'll   fill  your 

heart  with  cheer. 

March  Sixteenth 


FLOWERS 

TF  flowers  have  no  soul,  as  some  do  say, 
Deep  in  mine  own  I'll  hide  them  safe 

away 
And    let    them    share   what   beauty   there 

shall  be, 
Just  as  their  loveliness  they've  shared  with 

me. 

Their  lack  I  shall  supply,  and  when  at  last 
On    through    the    Gates   of   Mystery   I've 

passed 

I  think  I'll  find  my  Paradise  more  fair 
Because  I've  ta'en  my  floral  comrades  there. 


March  Seventeenth 


CONTENTED 

"\\7ISH  you  were  a  bird,  do  you?    Well, 

I  don't,  and  that's  a  fact. 
Soaring  through  the  heavens  blue  doubtless 

is  a  thrilling  act. 
But  when  I  sit  down  to  eat,  bread  and 

butter  suits  my  whim — 
Bread  and  butter,  pie  and  meat,  not  the 

worm  that  does  for  him. 

Flying — that  would  please  my  taste,  swoop 
ing  through  the  upper  air, 

But  a  bed  of  straw  and  waste  in  a  swaying 
tree  somewhere, 

That  is  not  at  all  the  kind  that  would  suit 
the  bones  of  me. 

Sport  of  every  passing  wind  flirting  with 
that  chilly  tree. 

March  Eighteenth 


Be  a  bird  if  so  you  will.    Everybody  to  his 

choice. 
Soar  aloft,  and  sing,  and  trill,  with  your 

piping  birdy  voice. 
I'll  remain  contented  here,  all  according  to 

the  plan 
That  has  placed  me  on  this  sphere  just  a 

common  garden  man. 


March  Eighteenth 


REDEMPTION 

S  sadly  true  that  what  is  writ  is  writ, 
Nor  can  you  change  a  single  line  of  it. 
Indelible  it  stands,  your  record  there 
For  good  or  evil,  be  it  dark  or  fair. 
But  true  as  that  may  be  'tis  also  true 
A  clear  to-morrow  lies  ahead  of  you, 
And  if  the  die  for  evil  has  been  cast 
It  holds  the  story  only  of  the  past. 
The  future  yet  remains,  and  if  you  will 
Its  pages,  all  unsullied,  you  may  fill 
With  deeds  of  honor  high  to  blot  away 
The  record  of  that  evil  yesterday. 


March  Nineteenth 


COMFORT 

is  a  woeful  measure  hard  to  bear, 

And  some  there  be  who  yield  up  to 

despair, 
Yet,  looking  back  through  the  remembered 

years 

With  all  their  portions  full  of  scalding  tears, 
I've  known  no  grief  that  did  not  ope  to  me 
Well-springs  of  Friendliness  and  Sympathy; 
Nor  failed  to  find  in  depths  'neath  sorrow's 

frown 
The   loving   hand   of   Fellowship   stretched 

down. 


March  Twentieth 


MELLOWING 

ACCUMULATING  years  to  some  spell 

^         age- 
To  me  each  one  is  but  a  fresher  page 
That  opens  up  new  prospects  to  the  sight 
And  shows  life's  loveliness  in  fuller  light; 
And  'tis  my  prayer  that  as  the  years  pass  by 
I'll  not  seem  older  to  the  friendly  eye, 
But  riper  grown  and  ever  mellowing, 
Like  the  rich  fruits  that  from  young  blos 
soms  spring. 


March  Twenty-first 


NO  TRIBUTE 

¥  SHALL  not  spoil  a  morning  fair 

With  any  groans  of  mine, 

Nor  dim  with  shadows  of  despair 

The  glad  sun's  golden  shine. 

I  shall  not  add  a  note  of  woe 

To  any  stormy  day, 
But  rather  seek  with  laughter's  glow 

To  drive  the  storm  away. 

So  whatsoe'er  the  weather  be, 
Clear  days  or  dark  with  rain, 

Old  Master  Care  will  ask  of  me 
A  tribute  all  in  vain. 


March  Twenty-second 


ALL  IN  ONE 

pTERNITY 

Don't  bother  me 
The  very  littlest  bit. 
I  feel  somehow 
This  minute,  Now, 
Is  all  there  is  to  it. 

For  Time  is  but 
An  endless  strut 

Of  minutes  such  as  this, 
Which,  understood 
And  used  for  good, 

Will  fructify  in  bliss. 


March  Twenty-third 


CONCEALED  TREASURE 

"\\7HY  brood  on  others'  manners  bad? 

Perhaps  they  were  the  best  they  had. 
And  possibly  they  never  yet 
Have  even  heard  of  etiquette. 
Just  take  them  as  they  come,  and  find 
Relief  by  bearing  well  in  mind 
That  roughest  ledges  sometimes  hold 
Deep  veins  within  of  purest  gold. 


March  Twenty-fourth 


A  CALL 

THWENTY-FOUR  hours  are  mine  to-day 
For  work,  and  rest,  and  thought,  and 
play, 

And  in  each  one  of  them  I  see 

A  gift  of  Opportunity 

To  carry  on,  if  I've  the  bent, 

God's  work  of  earthly  betterment. 

The  time  is  full,  the  way  is  clear, 
The  tools  to  do  the  work  are  here. 
And  few  of  us  have  need  to  ask 
The  why  or  wherefore  of  the  task, 
Such  are  the  needs  that  round  us  lurk — 
So,  Brother,  rise,  and  get  to  work! 


March  Twenty-fifth 


SAFETY 

AN  atom  in  the  Universe — 
That's  all  I  am,  I  know, 
And  yet  for  better  or  for  worse 

I'm  rather  glad  it's  so, 
For  Malice  seeks  the  shining  mark, 

And  Envy  shoots  above, 
But  in  the  light  or  in  the  dark 
There's  naught  too  small  for  Love. 


March  Twenty-sixth 


EVIDENCES 

A    SMALL  bird  flying  North  to-day 
"^  Told  me  that  spring  was  on  the  way, 
And  paused  upon  my  window-sill 
A  little  snatch  of  song  to  trill 
Which  made  me  think  of  April  showers, 
And  sunny  gardens  full  of  flowers, 
And  blossoms  white  upon  the  trees, 
And  lyric  whispers  of  the  breeze, 
Of  May  and  June,  and  then  I  knew 
The  secret  that  he  told  was  true! 


March  Twenty-seventh 


THE  WISE  FOOL 

TT  may  be  I'm  the  Fool  of  Hope, 

But  when  in  mazes  dark  I  grope 
And  there's  no  light  to  show  the  way 
Into  a  brighter,  clearer  day, 
Hope  in  the  stricken  heart  of  me 
Serves  to  assuage  perplexity, 
And  Fool  or  not  I  forward  fare 
Eased  of  a  portion  of  my  care. 


March  Twenty-eighth 


VALUES 

T  LITTLE  care  how  tall  you  are, 

Nor  if  you're  small  how  small  you  are. 
The  thing  that  matters  most  to  me 
Is  not  how  big  your  body  be, 
Nor  how  much  cash  you've  stored  away, 
Nor  on  the  scales  how  much  you  weigh, 
But  how  much  SOUL  you've  set  apart, 
And  what's  the  measure  of  your  HEART, 
And  in  your  share  of  stocks  preferred 
What  is  the  VALUE  of  your  WORD. 
If  these  be  always  kept  at  par, 
It  matters  not  how  small  you  are, 
Nor  on  what  lowly  planes  you  press — 
YOU'VE  WON  SUCCESS! 


March  Twenty-ninth 


TWO  RAILS 

A  RAIL  was  lying  in  the  sun 
•^  Beside  a  highway  dusty, 
And,  resting  idle,  all  it  won 

Was  but  a  coating  rusty. 
Another,  bearing  every  day 

The  burden  of  stern  duty, 
Took  on  a  gleam  of  silver  gay 

That  shimmered  in  its  beauty. 


March  Thirtieth 


THE  SEQUENCE 

"L^XIT  winter,  cheerless,  cold, 

With  its  blasts  all  blustering, 
With  its  ways  so  braggart  bold, 
Enter  now  the  smiling  spring. 

Out  of  all  the  dark  and  drear 
Of  the  frowning  winter  hours 

Come  the  loveliness  and  cheer 
Of  the  laughing  skies  and  flowers. 

Thus  ofttimes  on  woe  and  pain, 
On  the  trail  of  things  of  fear, 

Follows  all  the  joyous  gain 
Of  a  new-born  day  of  cheer. 


March  Thirty-first 


APRIL 

TTERE  she  comes  with  her  beguiling 
'   Ways  and  sunny  prospects  smiling, 
Lovely  April  with  her  showers 
Freshening  the  lanes  and  bowers, 
Making  ready  for  the  flowers. 

She's  perhaps  a  trifle  tearful, 
But  at  heart  she's  warm  and  cheerful, 
And  her  tears  are  not  of  sadness, 
But  the  tears  of  joyous  gladness 
To  escape  from  winter's  madness. 

Rain  or  shine,  I'll  not  reprove  her, 
For  with  all  my  soul  I  love  her, 
Since  she  speeds  me  from  the  gray  time 
Of  black  winter  to  the  play-time 
Of  the  glad  and  blissful  May-time. 
April  First 


HOLD  FAST 

'"PHAT  man  can  ne'er  grow  old  who  keeps 
secure 

Within  his  heart  and  soul  some  of  the  joy 
All  free  of  care,  in  character  so  pure, 

Of  being,  spite  of  years,  a  smiling  boy. 

Hold  fast  to  Boyhood,  Friend!    The  hours 

will  fly; 
Your  brow  will  bear  the  mark  of  fleeting 

days, 

And  Time  may  dim  the  luster  of  your  eye, 
But    hearts    stay  young    that    hold    to 
youthful  ways. 


April  Second 


A  PREFERENCE 

T  DO  not  like  the  Owl  because  he  hoots, 
And  that's  a  sort  of  thing  that  never 

suits 

My  optimistic  mind, 
For  hoots  are  nothing  more  than  empty 

sneers, 

And  sorry  gibes,  and  mean  and  cynic  jeers, 
Bespeaking  thoughts  unkind. 

I  much  prefer  the  happier  bird  that  sings, 
And  soars  above  the  cloud  on  outstretched 
wings, 

And  greets  the  golden  morn 
With  tuneful  carolings  that  seem  to  show 
His  heart  within  with  joy  is  all  aglow, 

And  free  from  taint  of  scorn. 
April  Third 


THE  FLOWER 

TF  it  be  true  that  man  is  like  a  flower 

That  lives  and  dies  in  but  one  little  hour, 
'Twere  well  if,  like  the  flower,  he  so  gives 
Of  beauty,  life  is  sweeter  while  he  lives. 

So  in  this  span  so  brief  how  fine  'twould  be 

If  man  could  live  his  hour  florally, 

And,  like  the  Rose,  whose  span  is  Beauty's 

gain, 
Add  to  earth's  joy  and   ease  the  sting  of 

pain! 


April  Fourth 


KEY-NOTES 

VI7HO  would  yield  to  black  despair 
When  sweet  April's  silky  air 

Holds  him  in  its  kindly  arms? 
Air  that  o'er  the  tree  and  bush 
Out  of  winter's  icy  hush 

Spreads  a  veil  of  leafy  charms? 

Who'd  give  way  to  thoughts  of  night 
In  the  days  of  warming  light 

That  from  out  drab  wintry  woes 
Leads  the  earth  to  vernal  bowers 
Gaily  decked  with  fragrant  flowers — 

Lily,  violet,  and  rose? 

Who  would  dwell  on  things  of  wrong 
When  the  glad  birds  with  their  song 

April  Fifth 


Make  the  golden  morning  ring? 
Fresh  resolve  and  courage  true 
For  the  tasks  we  have  to  do 

Are  the  key-notes  of  the  spring! 


April  Fifth 


CHANGED  AMBITION 

T  USED  to  think  it  would  be  fine 

To  be  a  King  of  Royal  Line, 
And  hold  the  people  of  the  land 
Obedient  to  my  command. 
But,  now  that  Kings  are  on  the  run, 
With  that  ambition  I  am  done, 
And  am  well  satisfied  to  be 
A  common  garden  mortal,  free 
To  walk  my  way  and  win  the  pelf 
Of  him  who's  Master  of  Himself. 


April  Sixth 


IN  HOURS  OF  GRIEF 

TN  your  grief  for  some  one  gone 
Put  no  garb  of  mourning  on — 
Rather  think  of  magic  ways 
Leading  into  sunlit  ways 
Whitherward  his  spirit  strays. 

Think  of  him  as  gone  before 
Through  the  new  dawn's  open  door 
Into  scenes  of  splendor  rare, 
Into  fields  of  service  where 
Lies  forgetfulness  of  care. 


April  Seventh 


THE  GIFTS  OF  SPRING 


O 


LOVELY  springtide  gifts— 
The  golden  light  that  lifts 
My  spirit  out  of  care; 
The  soft  and  silken  air 
That  wraps  earth  round  about 
And  lures  the  flowers  out; 
The  welcome  rains  that  speed 
The  fructifying  seed; 
The  freshly  vernal  green 
That  colors  all  the  scene; 
The  lovely  blue  of  skies 
That  rests  the  weary  eyes; 
The  music  of  the  breeze, 
The  magic  of  the  trees 
That  seem  to  whisper  cheer 
To  them  that  pause  to  hear — 
April  Eighth 


For  these,  the  Gifts  of  Spring, 
My  gratitude  I'll  sing 
While  I  have  voice  to  raise 
In  thankfulness  and  praise.' 


April  Eighth 


THE  PAST 

¥  VEX  me  not  with  trials  that  are  past, 
And  yet  I'd  not  forget  the  years  now 
sped 

With  all  the  Bender  memories  that  cast 
Their  kindly  spell  upon  the  paths  I  tread. 

An  heritage  in  joy,  I'll  hold  it  close, 
Unmindful  of  its  stress  and  fevers  hot, 

As  perfect  as  some  well-remembered  Rose 
For    beauty    cherished    and    the    thorns 
forgot. 


April  Ninth 


ORIGINS 

T  KNOW  some  souls  of  such  rare  grace 
They  make  me  think  the  human  race 
Sprang  not  from  Apes,  as  Darwin  says, 
Back  in  the  prehistoric  days, 
But  from  two  Sunbeams  blithe  and  gay 
Who  on  some  smiling  bygone  day 
Strayed  from  the  Fount  of  Light,  and  sped 
Off  to  the  green  world,  there  to  wed, 
And  gave  us  Love  to  rule  the  earth 
And  people  it  with  Souls  of  Worth. 


April  Tenth 


A  WELCOME  VISITOR 

''THAT  little  boy  I  used  to  be 

Comes  back  at  times  to  visit  me, 
And  with  his  laughter  helps  me  o'er 
Hard  spots  and  difficulties  sore; 
And  by  his  ready  scent  for  sham 
Sometimes  he  shames  the  man  I  am 
And  turns  me  back  unto  the  way 
From  which  I've  wandered  far  astray; 
And  certain  tawdry  things  I  prize, 
Seen  through  his  penetrating  eyes, 
Reveal  their  hollowness  and  speed 
My  heart  and  hand  to  worthier  deed. 


April  Eleventh 


ALWAYS  AT  HOME 

T  FIND  it  pays  to  love  the  world  so  much, 
And   with  my  fellows  hold  so  close  a 

touch, 

That  it  small  matter  makes  just  where  I  be, 
There's  just  a  bit  of  HOME  surrounding  me. 
Who  loves  his  kind  and  sees  the  things  of 

worth 

In  such  abundance  throughout  all  the  earth, 
Can  never  feel  the  sad  and  bleak  distress 
Of  Strangers  overcome  with  loneliness. 


April  Twelfth 


THE  GIFT 

A    THING  that's  older  than  the  hills, 

Yet  young  as  any  new-born  day; 
Light-hearted  as  the  bird  that  trills, 
Yet  stable  as  the  mountains  gray; 
In  joy  a  measure  full  of  song, 

In  grief  the  surest  treasure-trove, 
Boon  to  the  weak,  strength  to  the  strong- 
The  ever  golden  gift  of  Love! 


April  Thirteenth 


THE  SHIP 

T  LITTLE  care  for  things  that  buffet  me. 
No  more  than  ships  that  ride  the  stormy 

sea 

And  sail  undaunted  on,  and  nobly  brave 
The  pestering  of  angry  wind  and  wave. 
For  I'm  a  ship  upon  the  seas  of  life, 
And  must  sail  onward  through  the  spumy 

strife, 
And  if  I'm  stanch   and    hold    my  courses 

clear, 
I  know  I'll  find  at  last  the  Ports  of  Cheer! 


April  Fourteenth 


A  PLEASANT  THREAT 

I'M  going  to  take  a  gun  to-day 
•*•  And  shoot  at  folks  along  the  way 
With  bullets  made  of  joyous  mirth, 
And  hints  of  hope  and  peace  on  earth, 
And  kindliness,  and  wholesome  glee, 
And  all  the  sweets  of  sympathy, 
And  make  the  streets  a  shambles  of 
Sheer  Brotherhood  and  Human  Love. 


April  Fifteenth 


ALONGSIDE 


things  my  ways  betide 
I'll  seize  what  joys  lie  by  my  side, 
Nor  risk  the  loss  that  waits  anon 
In  bliss  uncertain  farther  on. 
Thus  shall  each  day  provide  its  share 
Of  joyousness  to  ease  my  care, 
And  if  some  dawn  shall  be  all  gray 
The  hoarded  light  of  Yesterday 
I'll  use  to  brighten  with  its  glow 
The  path  beset  with  present  woe. 


April  Sixteenth 


A  REALIZATION 

I'VE  given  up  the  pleasant  labor 

Of  finding  weakness  in  my  neighbor, 
And  sought  to  find  what  faults  there  be 
Hid  deep  within  the  Thing  called  Me; 
And  I  must  say  if  there  is  fun 
In  finding  faults  in  any  one, 
There's  fun  enough  right  there  in  sight 
To  keep  me  grinning  day  and  night 
From  now  until  I  leave  this  earth 
To  visit  realms  of  greater  worth. 


April  Seventeenth 


STRENGTH 

HHHE  strongest  man  I  ever  knew 

Was  not  of  that  steel-fibered  crew 
Who  lift  great  weights  or  run  for  days 
Over  the  Marathonian  ways, 
But  he  who  in  a  day  of  woe, 
His  heart  with  anger  all  aglow, 
His  soul  with  rank  injustice  stung, 
Had  the  rare  strength  to  hold  his  tongue 
And  bear  with  patient  fortitude 
The  slings  and  arrows  harsh  and  rude 
In  fullest  confidence  that  Right 
Would  rise  triumphant  into  light. 


April  Eighteenth 


THE  VERDICT 

T  HOPE  to  live  to-day 

In  such  a  proper  way 
That  when  To-morrow  sits 
In  judgment  on  it  its 
Keen  penetrating  eye 
Will  view  it  smilingly, 
And  righteously  conclude 
That  it  was  pretty  good. 


April  Nineteenth 


PICTURES 

I'VE  never  seen  old  Tokyo,  nor  visited  in 

Lhassa. 
I've  never  looked  on  China,  or  the  forests 

of  Mombassa, 
But  I've  no  doubt  that  they  exist,  for  I've 

seen  pictures  of  'em, 
Full   of   the   beauties   rich  and   rare   that 

make  the  natives  love  'em. 

And  so  it  is  with  future  things.    Of  Heaven 

I've  a  feeling 
We've  pictures  of  it  everywhere,  its  beauties 

rich  revealing, 
In  human  love,  and  sympathy,  and  all  the 

glorious  leaven 
Of  lovely  things  the  Earth  provides  to  prove 

the  truth  of  Heaven. 

April  Twentieth 


BAD  COMPANY 

morning,  Mr.  Care,"  quoth  I. 
"I  thought  I  saw  you  passing  by, 
And  pause  to  say  'twould  pleasing  be 
If  you  would  come  and  visit  me. 
I  like  to  pass  away  week-ends 
Surrounded  by  my  pleasant  friends, 
And  I've  invited  Brother  Cheer, 
And  Mr.  Unafraid-of-Fear, 
And  Sisters  Smiling-Face  and  Joy, 
And  Love,  the  Springtide's  little  boy, 
To  meet  you  if  you'll  come  along 
And  join  us  in  a  day  of  song." 

But  Mr.  Care  just  frowned  on  me. 
He  didn't  like  my  company, 
And  ever  since  then,  be  it  said, 
The  poor  old  chap  has  cut  me  dead. 

April  Twenty-first 


HOPE 

A    REFUGE  sure  in  days  of  pain 
•^  Which  never  yet  has  proven  vain 
Lies  in  our  Hope,  and  no  Despair, 
However  fortified  with  Care, 
Can  penetrate  the  fastness  strong 
Where  Hope  commands,  nor  any  Wrong 
Win  out,  however  great  its  might, 
Before  the  rich  glow  of  its  light. 


April  Twenty-second 


STRENGTHENING 

A  MOUNTAIN  in  my  path?  'Tis  well— 
•*•  'Tis  good  to  climb  and  from  the  height 
Look  o'er  the  distant  vale  and  dell 

Into  the  countries  of  Delight. 
The  smoother  way  is  fair,  no  doubt, 

But  yields  no  zest  unto  the  chase, 
And  obstacles  o'ercome  bring  out 

Undreamed-of  powers  to  win  the  race. 


April  Twenty-third 


ASPIRATION 

CTRONG  as  the  Oak,  yet  tender  as  the 

Rose! 

In  storm  defiant  of  the  wind  that  blows, 
And  facing  wintry  ills  with  eye  serene 
Despite    the    travails    black   that   vex   the 

scene, 

Yet  smiling  as  fair  April's  Garden  Close 
When  there's  a  call  of  any  kind  to  me 
For  gifts  of  Love  and  human  Sympathy — 
That  is  the  sort  of  human  I  would  be! 


April  Twenty-fourth 


THE  HARVEST 

TF  in  each  day  we  press 
Rich  gifts  of  loveliness, 
And  ever  keep  the  light 
Of  Brotherhood  in  sight, 
The  harvest  that  shall  be 
Will  prove  all  amity, 
And  life  will  render  us 
A  treasure  glorious. 


April  Twenty -fifth 


TOLERANCE 

[EN  I  cannot  agree 
With  those  opposed  to  me 
I'll  try  at  least  to  find 
With  all  my  powers  of  mind 
Whatever  may  be  true 
In  others'  points  of  view, 
Until  there  may  be  found 
A  common  vantage-ground 
Whence  they  and  I  may  press 
Forward  in  friendliness. 


April  Twenty -sixth 


MUNITIONS 

would  I  have  in  goodly  store 
To  fight  the  wolves  outside  my  door 
And  hold  grim  poverty  at  bay 
And  drive  substantial  cares  away. 
But  even  better  than  the  dross 
That  guised  as  gain  is  often  loss, 
To  battle  with  the  hosts  of  fear 
Grant  me  the  goodly  gift  of  cheer, 
For  gold's  an  evanescent  pelf, 
While  cheer  well-spent  renews  itself. 


April  Twenty -seventh 


SOURCES 

"  IX/TAY    it    be   mine,  when    storm-clouds 

1V1  lower, 

To  fill  with  peace  some  troubled  hour 
Of  one  who  in  the  depths  of  sorrow 
Looks  forth  with  dread  upon  the  morrow. 
May  it  be  mine  on  some  dark  day 
To  speed  the  stricken  on  their  way 
With  thoughts  of  cheer,  and  love,  and  light, 
And  new-born  courage  for  the  fight." 

'Twas  thus  I  prayed,  and  from  the  sea 
Of  night  a  star-beam  flashed  to  me — 
"He  best  gives  light  who  hath  the  wit 
First  to  fill  self  and  soul  with  it." 
And  that  is  why  each  passing  day 
I  drink  in  sunshine  where  I  may, 
And  from  the  Moon  and  Stars  by  night 
Exact  some  tribute  of  their  light. 

April  Twenty-eighth 


A  WISH 

T  DO  not  pine  for  Easy  Street 

Where  life  is  indolently  sweet, 
And  everything  runs  smoothly  on 
To  nothing  much  that  lies  anon. 
I  rather  like  the  busier  way 
Where  effort  crowns  the  toil  of  day, 
Where  I  must  dare  and  use  my  wit 
To  do  some  kind  of  useful  bit. 
I  only  ask  that  I  may  dwell 
Where  I  may  serve  my  fellows  well, 
And  if  I  walk,  or  chance  to  ride, 
'Twill  be  upon  the  sunny  side. 


April  Twenty-ninth 


IMMORTAL! 

is  no  Death!    Man  lives  his  day 
And  passes  on  the  unseen  way, 
His  deeds  in  days  of  peace  and  strife 
Forming  the  measure  of  his  life; 
And  every  bit  of  good  he's  done 
Living  forever,  on  and  on, 
Part  of  the  vast  and  splendid  whole 
Of  God's  imperishable  Soul. 


April  Thirtieth 


A  MAY-DAY  WHIM 

T  ET  me  go  forth  upon  the  sunlit  way 

And  revel  in  the  beauties  of  the  day, 
The  greening  trees,  the  zephyrs  at  their  play. 

Let  song  of  bird  rout  every  thought  ol  care, 
And  all  the  fragrance  of  the  gardens  fair 
Make  sweetly  odorous  the  morning  air. 

Let  me  drink  in  life's  beauty  as  the  Bee 
Sips  sweetness  from  the  Rose's  bounty  free, 
Until  I'm  fairly  drunk  with  ecstasy. 

And  then  when  with  the  May-time's  joys 

replete 

To  toil-worn  ways  I  turn  my  dancing  feet, 
Let  me  transmit  that  joy  to  all  I  meet, 

May  First 


That  others  sharing  in  that  meed  of  cheer 
May  greet  me  smilingly  when  I  appear, 
And  cry,  "Hurrah!  The  Son  of  May  is  here!" 


May  First 


THE  SEED 

QEND  out  each  day  some  pleasant  whim 

Designed  to  make  the  hour  less  grim 
For  some  one  in  the  grip  of  woe, 
And  like  a  flower-seed  'twill  grow 
Into  a  rich  and  fragrant  bloom 
That  yet  may  lighten  thine  own  gloom, 
And  into  some  dark  hour  press 
An  unsuspected  loveliness. 


May  Second 


THE  TREASURY 

T   WOULD  I  could  devise  some  way 

To  store  the  loveliness  of  May 
For  use  in  some  far-off  November 
Or  in  the  days  of  chill  December. 

A  goodly  plan  it  were  to  try 

To  seize  the  gold  from  out  the  sky 

And  in  some  sanctuary  store 

A  portion  of  its  lovely  score. 

What  safer  strong-box  could  there  be 
Beyond  the  reach  of  thievery 
For  all  this  wealth  of  gracious  toll 
Than  in  the  coffers  of  the  soul? 


May  Third 


THE  SINGING  BREEZE 

A    BREEZE  came  by  upon  a  city  street 
•^  So  filled  with  stress  and  onward-rush 
ing  feet 

It  did  not  seem  that  anywhere  could  be 
A  touch  of  quiet  and  tranquillity, 
And  as  it  passed  along 
It  seemed  to  sing  a  song 
Of  dark-green  woods,  and   richly  verdured 

hills, 

And  fresh-turned  fields,  and  laughing  moun 
tain  rills, 
That  danced  by  mossy  banks  with  ferns 

o'ergrown 

Where  weary  feet  might  wander,  not  alone, 
But  in  the  dear  companionship  so  blest 
Of  perfect  rest. 

May  Fourth 


And  I — I  thanked  that  little  breeze  because 
Into  the  city's  rush  that  knows  no  pause 
It  brought  me  dreams  of  byways  passing 

fair 

Where  one  may  woo  forgetfulness  of  care, 
And    hearts    grown    weary    of    the   world's 

alarms 
May  find  sweet  respite  in  dear  Nature's 

arms. 


May  Fourth 


A  TOAST  TO  EARTH 

\7"E  call  me  "earthy  of  the  earth" 
As  though  I'd  little  of  true  worth, 

And  are  inclined  to  frown  and  sneer 

Because  I  sing  of  blessings  here, 
And  take  a  smiling  attitude 
Of  unremitting  gratitude 

For  "worldly"  gifts  of  loving  cheer. 


Well,  sneer  and  jeer — I  am  content, 
For  while  in  Earth's  confines  I'm  pent 
It  is  the  field  God's  given  me 
In  lavish  generosity, 

To  make  the  best  I  can  of  it, 
To  seek  and  find  the  plan  of  it, 
And  make  it  what  He'd  have  it  be. 
May  Fifth 


So  here's  to  EARTH — a  gift  of  love 
For  us  to  taste  the  sweetness  of! 
A  Garden  fair  with  flowers  gay 
That  we  may  gather  day  by  day! 
Its  beauties,  I  shall  sing  of  them, 
And  sound  the  golden  ring  of  them 
Till  life  itself  hath  passed  away. 


May  Fifth 


THE  POINT  OF  VIEW 


T^HE  world  is  here  for  what  it  is: 
A  thing  of  pain,  a  thing  of  bliss; 
A  thing  of  dullness  or  of  wit, 
According  as  we  look  on  it. 
If  in  my  heart  I  dwell  on  woe, 
And  on  the  weeds  that  in  it  grow, 
'Twill  prove  a  sorry  sort  of  place 
Devoid  of  beauty  and  of  grace. 

But  if  I  spend  my  waking  hours 
In  thinking  on  its  lovely  flowers 
And  all  the  blessings  I  have  got, 
'Twill  be  for  me  a  garden-spot. 
Wherefore,  whatever  woes  may  press 
I'll  think  upon  earth's  loveliness 
And  thereby  win  the  gracious  good 
Of  its  unbounded  plenitude. 
May  Sixth 


THE  LITTLE  BIRD 

"pEEP!"  said  a  little  bird  one  morn 
When  I  was  feeling  quite  forlorn. 
I  took  a  "peep"  and  saw  arrayed 
In  loveliness  the  world  displayed. 

"Cheep!"  said  the  little  bird,  and  I 
The  truth  of  it  could  not  deny, 
For  all  earth's  lavish  beauty  spent 
On  me  had  cost  me  not  a  cent. 


May  Seventh 


TO  HAPPYLAND 

"T\OWN  with  all  things  melancholic! 
•^"^  Spring  was  made  for  joyous  frolic. 
Music  greets  us  everywhere, 
Flowers  fragrant  scent  the  air, 
Lawns  for  dancing  feet  are  spread, 
Skies  are  smiling  overhead. 
Sunlit  vistas  lure  the  eye 
Into  golden  prospects  nigh. 
Sense  of  buoyant  youth  renewed 
Stirs  the  heart  to  gratitude. 
Wherefore,  Brothers,  let's  be  jolly! 
Fling  away  all  melancholy, 
And  with  Nature,  hand  in  hand* 
Hie  us  on  to  Happyland! 


May  Eighth 


THE   END  AND   THE   BEGINNING 

A  GE  holds  no  fears  for  me. 
"**  I  face  it  cheerfully, 
For  I've  a  faith  sublime, 
And  growing  all  the  time, 
That  when  life's  cruise  is  o'er 
I'll  find  another  shore 
Whence  I  may  forward  press 
To  scenes  of  loveliness, 
And  far  from  being  vexed 
By  years,  I  think,  "What  next?" 
And  smiling  wait  upon 
The  mysteries  anon. 


May  Ninth 


PAGES  OF  LIFE 

TF  from  the  page  of  some  insensate  book 
A  cheery  flower  of  Hope  may  sometimes 

spring, 

And  into  some  dark-shadowed  spirit  nook 
A  gleam  of  light  to  ease  its  sorrow  bring, 
How  much  the  more  from  out  the  living  day 
Of  human  sympathy  may  there  be  borne 
A  stream  of  radiance  to  light  the  way 
From  woe  to  joy  for  travelers  forlorn. 


May  Tenth 


THE  SINGING  WAY 

T  IKE  to  the  winging  bird  I'd  soar  aloft 

Into  the  springy  air  so  fairly  soft, 
And  on  the  topmost  bough  of  some  green 

tree 

Pour  out  in  song  the  very  soul  of  me, 
And  with  the  breezes  speed  my  singing  way 
Rejoicing  in  the  loveliness  of  day, 
With  thanks  for  earth  which  holds  in  lavish 

meed 
Rich  gifts  of  every  kind  to  meet  my  need. 


May  Eleventh 


THE  LAUGHING  SONG 

T  'D  like  to  write  a  laughing  song, 
A  rollicking  and  chaffing  song, 

So  lively  and  so  jolly 
'Twould  put  a  real  quietus  on 
The  troubles  that  await  us  on 

Account  of  melancholy. 

I  want  to  see  a  tearful  world 
Transformed  into  a  cheerful  world, 

All  full  of  happy  hours, 
Where  we  can  joy  in  May  again, 
And  little  children  play  again 

Among  the  smiling  flowers. 

So  help  me  write  my  happy  song, 
A  brightly  lilting,  snappy  song, 
May  Twelfth 


To  sing  upon  the  morrow, 
When  God's  fair  world  set  free  again 
From  strife  and  misery  again 

Shall  rise  to  joy  from  sorrow. 


May  Twelfth 


HOPES  RESTORED 

hopes  may  wane  and  fade  away, 
And  gloom  attend  the  darkening  day, 
But  this  I  know:  no  gloomy  hour 
Can  hold  me  in  its  gripping  power. 
For  though  all  gray  that  hour  may  be 
Another  soon  will  come  to  me 
Bright  with  the  golden  glow  of  morn, 
New  Hopes  upon  its  fleet  wings  borne, 
On  which  I  yet  may  rise  and  find 
The  lofty  bays  I  have  in  mind. 


May  Thirteenth 


PROMISES 

T  SAW  a  blossom  on  a  tree 

That  told  of  fruit  to  come  to  me. 

I  saw  the  sun  all  golden  bright 
That  promised  endless  stores  of  light. 

I  heard  a  bird  sing  songs  at  noon 
That  held  the  lilt  of  coining  June. 

I  glimpsed  a  light  in  some  one's  eye, 
A  promise  sweet  of  "by  and  by." 

On  every  hand,  below,  above, 
Are  promises  aglow  with  love 

That  tide  me  over  stressful  things 
And  give  new  strength  to  weary  wings. 

May  Fourteenth 


IMMUNE 

IJAMMER  on,  O  Fate! 

Whack,  and  slam,  and  bang! 
Land  with  all  your  weight — 
I  don't  give  a  hang! 

I  am  here  to-day 

And  the  skies  are  blue, 

And  I'll  joy  in  May 
In  despite  of  you. 

All  your  bumps  and  shoves 
Can't  destroy  the  flowers 

For  the  soul  that  loves 
May-time's  happy  hours. 

Slap  and  snap  and  sneer 
Every  chance  you  see. 

Not  a  plaint  or  tear 

Will  you  get  from  me. 
May  Fifteenth 


THE  DAILY  BOOK 

"C^ACH  day  I  live  is  like  a  book  to  me, 

All  full  of  pure  romance  and  mystery, 

With  love  and  laughter  and  some  tragedy. 

I  read  it  as  I  run,  and  try  to  find 
My  place  in  it,  a  place  of  proper  kind 
To  suit  my  qualities  of  heart  and  mind. 

I  cannot  be  its  hero,  but  'tis  clear 
That  if  I  smiling  go  in  my  own  sphere 
My  part  in  it  will  be  a  part  of  cheer — 

And  that's  a  role  that  in  the  story's  stress 
'Tis  well  to  play  if  when  it  leaves  the  press 
The  tale  shall  end  in  love  and  happiness. 

May  Sixteenth 


WIRELESS 

"V[OW  wireless  telegraphy 
•^      Is  quite  a  wondrous  thing  to  me, 
Although  I  must  admit  it's  true 
There's  nothing  in  it  very  new, 
For  ever  since  the  world  began, 
And  maid  was  maid,  and  man  was  man, 
Without  the  aid  of  earthly  arts 
Hearts  e'er  have  spoken  unto  hearts, 
And  sent  their  messages  of  cheer 
Vibrating  through  the  atmosphere. 


May  Seventeenth 


THE  MIRTH-CURE 

in  the  grip  of  a  malign  mischance, 
A  victim  of  an  evil  circumstance, 
I  thought  of  something  funny,  and  I  grinned, 
Forgetful  of  the  woe  that  had  me  pinned, 
And  all  the  ill  that  vexed  my  soul  with 

care 

Went  off  like  smoke  and  vanished  in  the  air, 
And,  freed  of  thoughts  of  it,  I  saw  the  way 
Out  of  the  trials  sore  that  spoiled  my  day, 
And  soon  emerged  out  of  my  chancy  plight 
Into  the  golden  glory  of  the  light. 


May  Eighteenth 


A  RESOLVE 

T>  A  IN  or  shine,  it's  naught  to  me 

**  What  the  outer  weather  be, 
If  inside  a  heart  of  cheer 
Routs  all  thoughts  of  irksome  fear. 
Like  a  tree  that  stands  serene 
In  the  midst  of  tempests  green, 
Whatsoever  winds  are  blowin' 
I  shall  smile  and  keep  a-growin'! 


May  Nineteenth 


UNDERSTUDIES 


Mr.  Sun  with  all  his  power 
Thro'  clouds  can't  make  his  way, 
And  all  the  skies  are  dark  and  dour, 

And  gloomy  is  the  day, 
A  twinkling  eye,  a  friendly  smile, 

Some  action  full  of  grace, 
Will  help  us  for  a  little  while 
To  take  the  old  boy's  place. 


May  Twentieth 


TO  THE  ROSE 

'"PHEY  call  you,  Rose,  a  royal  thing 

Because  your  lavish  coloring 
Suggests  the  garb  of  reigning  king — 

But  I  demur,  O  Rose,  at  that. 
To  me  you're  no  aristocrat, 
But  just  a  simple  democrat, 

Because,  no  matter  who  he  be, 
King,  peasant,  clod,  or  royalty, 
You  deign  to  nod  at  all  you  see. 

With  one  and  all  your  beauties  fair, 
Your  lovely  hues,  your  fragrance  rare, 
Without  reserve  you  freely  share, 

And  never  ask  if  he  be  high, 
Or  lowly  placed,  who  passes  by, 
And  all  stand  equal  in  your  eye. 
May  Twenty-first 


IN  PLAIN  SIGHT 

"LJIAS  any  one  e'er  seen  the  Soul?" 

Aye — that  have  I,  and  often,  too! 
So  oft  'twould  take  an  endless  scroll 
To  hold  the  record  full  and  true. 

I've  seen  it  in  a  Mother's  eye; 

Perceived  it  in  a  friendly  hand; 
In  acts  of  grace  and  sympathy 

I've  witnessed  it  in  every  land. 

Where  love  reveals  its  winning  smile, 
Where  Brotherhood  the  spirit  is; 

Where  living  Truth  hath  conquered  Guile, 
And  Mercy  tempers  Nemesis; 

Where  Faith  and  Honor  dwell  serene, 
And  Service  hath  become  the  goal, 

E'en  sightless  eyes  full  well  have  seen. 
That  splendid  vision  of  the  Soul. 

May  Twenty-second 


THE  THIEF 

T  FIND  that  Unbelief 

Is  nothing  but  a  thief 
That  robs  me  of  my  sense 
Of  God's  rich  providence; 
That  takes  from  me  the  light 
The  Heavens  hold  in  sight 
To  lead  my  soul  above 
To  realms  of  endless  love; 
That  wrests  from  me  the  bays 
That  urge  to  higher  ways, 
And  clouds  the  smiling  face 
Of  Everlasting  Grace, 
To  leave  me  in  my  stress 
A  world  of  Nothingness. 


May  Twenty-third 


THE  HOMEWARD  WAY 

V/"ES,  life  is  a  stormy  journey, 

And  the  skies  are  sometimes  bleak, 
And  the  rough-and-tumble  journey 
Finds  me  weak. 

But  I  waste  no  time  in  fretting 
As  my  troubled  way  I  roam, 
For  I  know  each  day  I'm  getting 
Nearer  home! 


May  Twenty-fourth 


THE  LINK 

A    DAY  is  short,  and  oft  I  think 
It  counts  but  little  in  the  strife, 
Yet  each  one  forms  a  special  link 
To  make  or  break  the  chain  of  life. 


May  Twenty -fifth 


YOUR  SHARE 

\7"OUR  place  may  be  an  humble  place; 
You  may  not  run  the  swifter  race; 
You  may  be  classed  among  the  small 
Of  whom  the  world  ne'er  hears  at  all; 
And  yet  the  sun  that  shines  above, 
And  all  the  wealth  of  human  love, 
Are  yours  as  much  as  his  whose  might 
Has  placed  him  on  the  topmost  height — 
E'en  more,  perhaps,  for  some  who  climb 
For  Love  and  Light  have  little  time. 


May  Twenty-sixth 


VISIONS 

\7"OUR  dreams  may  not  come  true 

Just  to  the  letter, 
Yet  make  a  world  of  rue 

Brighter  and  better 
With  hints  of  nobler  heights 
That  tempt  to  loftier  flights; 
So  dream  away,  my  lad, 

Despite  derisions, 
And  keep  your  spirit  glad 

With  golden  visions 
That  open  up  new  ways 
To  fresher,  greener  bays 

And  high  ambitions. 


May  Twenty -seventh 


A  RESOLVE 

T  SHALL  not  sing  the  bad, 

I  shall  not  sing  the  wrong, 
I  shall  not  let  the  sad 

Intrude  upon  my  song. 
But  all  my  singing  days 

In  scenes  of  peace  or  strife 
I'll  chant  in  lines  of  praise 

The  graciousness  of  life. 


May  Twenty-eighth 


STUMBLING 

TF  you  shall  stumble  now  and  then, 
Don't  let  a  fall  your  spirits  balk. 
Rise  up  upon  your  feet  again 

As  when,  a  child,  you  learned  to  walk, 
And  stride  along  upon  your  way, 

And  there  will  come  a  time  secure 
When,  as  in  that  far  childhood  day, 

You  found  your  halting  footstep  sure. 


May  Twenty-ninth 


MEMORIAL  DAY 

T^OR  them  that  died  that  men  might  be 

,  Forever  and  forever  free, 
This  is  the  day  of  Memory. 

Fair  Nature's  self  devotes  her  powers 

With  all  her  golden  sunny  hours 

To  spreading  o'er  them  fragrant  flowers. 

Where  there  shall  fall  a  drop  of  rain 
Tis  but  the  tear  to  prove  their  pain 
And  sacrifice  were  not  in  vain. 

And  if  the  skies  shall  be  all  blue 

Their  azure  is  the  flawless  hue 

That  stands  for  Honor  tried  and  true. 


May  Thirtieth 


THE  VICTOR 

/^\NE   grasped  at  stars,   and   seized   but 

emptiness, 

The  sheer  vacuity  of  space,  and  then 
Out  of  the  vales  of  failure,  in  distress, 
Bemoaned  the  blindness  of  his  fellow-men, 
Because  they  could  not  see 
How  truly  great  was  he. 

Another  grasped  the  nettle  at  his  side, 

And  never  even  dreamed  to  win  a  name, 
And  sought  the  deed  of  Service  without 

pride 

Or  thought  ambitious  for  undying  fame, 
And  wondered  at  the  bays 
That  crowned  his  later  days. 

May  Thirty-first 


THE  MESSENGER 

"VTOW  Summer  opens  wide  her  door 

And,  with  her  gracious  mien, 
She  bids  us  pass  the  threshold  o'er 

To  prospects  all  serene. 
She  offers  us  a  wealth  of  hours, 

Of  days  that  thrill  with  love, 
With  lanes  and  pastures  decked  with  flowers, 

And  smiling  skies  above. 

Her  Messenger  is  lovely  June, 

All  kindliness  and  grace, 
With  light  of  sun  and  stars  and  moon, 

Illumining  her  face. 
With  music  soft  and  zephyrs  sweet, 

And  beauty  all  awake, 
She  lays  her  treasures  at  our  feet 

That  we  may  freely  take. 

June  First 


A  FAIR  IDEA 

TF  one  should  ask  me  my  idea  of  Heaven 

I  think  I'd  answer  six  times  out  of  seven 

That  'tis  a  place  where  Love  sits  on  his 

throne, 

Where  fear  and  all  mistrust  are  quite  un 
known; 

Where  care  comes  not,  and  life  is  all  in  tune, 
And  from -year's  end  to  end  'tis  always  June. 


June  Second 


JUDGMENT 

T  NEVER  knew  a  man  so  good 

But  I  could  find  flaws  if  I  would. 
I  never  knew  a  man  so  bad 
But  that  some  virtue  rare  he  had, 
And  hence  it  is  I  cannot  find 
A  method  certain  in  my  mind 
By  which  to  judge  my  brother's  ways, 
In  terms  of  blame,  in  lines  of  praise, 
And  therefore  feel  no  special  call 
To  judge  my  fellow-men  at  all. 


June  Third 


THE  PROOF 

T  COULD  not  be  an  Atheist 

Unless  my  soul  could  quite  desist 
From  all  belief  in  Love; 
For  Love,  I  hold,  is  but  a  form 
Of  Godliness,  and  peace  or  storm 
Streams  o'er  us  from  above. 

And  Godliness  could  not  well  be — 
Or  so  my  logic  teaches  me — 

If  there  were  not  some  source, 
Some  Godlike  fount  and  center  whence 
In  all  its  rare  munificence 

That  stream  began  its  course. 


June  Fourth 


ELATION 

T  WALK  my  way  on  earth  elate 

Because  my  heart  has  banished  hate; 
Because  my  soul's  too  occupied 
With  things  of  love  to  think  of  pride, 
And  all  the  vanities  that  lead 
The  spirit  of  mankind  to  greed; 
And  everywhere  I  go  I  plan 
To  find  the  good  that  lies  in  man; 
And  when  night  comes  I  feel  as  though, 
Despite  life's  worries  and  its  woe, 
I'd  spent  a  host  of  happy  hours 
In  meadows  filled  with  lovely  flowers. 


June  Fifth 


BLESSINGS  TWAIN 

things  I  find  most  helpful  in 
This  complex  world  of  joy  and  sin 
By  which  I'm  often  carried  through 
The  clouds  that  evil  chances  brew; 
The  first  is  GRATITUDE  for  things 
Of  good  in  past  adventurings, 
The  other  HOPE  for  good  to  be 
In  days  that  lie  ahead  of  me. 


June  Sixth 


A  GOOD  END 

IF  "Love's  a  sickness  full  of  woe," 
As  some  old  gloomy  poet  stated 
I'd  be  the  very  last  to  go 

To  get  myself  inoculated; 
For  if  dear  Love  is  a  disease, 

A  sort  of  miasmatic  bubble, 
Since  sometime  I  must  die,  'twould  please 

Me  most  to  die  of  just  that  trouble. 


June  Seventh 


FISHIN' 

'  fishin'?    Yes,  I  be, 
But  no  hook  ner  line  fer  me, 
Fer  I  know  a  little  brook 
Where  ye  don't  need  a  line  ner  hook. 

Brook  a-streamin'  from  above 
Full  o'  light  and  full  o'  love, 
Bringin'  schools  o'  swarmin'  cheer 
To  us  worried  fellers  here. 

Goin'  to  ketch  a  mess  o'  fun 
Swimmin'  down  from  yonder  Sun; 
Goin'  to  ketch  a  mess  of  air 
Makin*  me  fergit  my  care. 

Goin'  to  ketch  a  stock  o'  health — 
Finest  kind  o'  human  wealth — 
Fishin'  in  the  waters  free 
God's  a-pourin'  down  on  me. 

June  Eighth 


MY  FAITH 

J  HAVE  a  Faith  in  things  that  are  to  be 
Which  in  all  woes  doth  much  to  comfort 

me — 

A  sense  of  an  eternal  Fatherhood 
That  as  a  child  I  found  supremely  good, 
That  held  me  safe  from  evil  and  alarms 
Enfolded  in  its  all-protecting  arms, 
And,  tho'  my  stock  of  years  is  passing  large, 
E'en  as  a  little  child  I  hold  in  charge 
That  Faith  that,  whatsoever  things  may  be, 
A  Father's  hand  is  still  stretched  out  to  me. 


June  Ninth 


THE  HATE  THAT  STEELS 


tell  me  not  to  hate,  yet  am  I  glad 
When  things  of  evil  rear  their  heads 

to  do 

Such  deeds  as  only  worlds  run  wholly  mad 
Could  match  for  pain,  and  wickedness, 

and  rue, 
That  while  my  heart  is  still  a  heart  that 

sings 
Of  that  fair  love  that  holds  the  spirit 

strong, 

It  holds  deep  hatred  for  those  evil  things 
That  steel  the  righteous  hand  to  grapple 
wrong. 


June  Tenth 


FRIENDLY  OFFERINGS 

HPHERE'S  no  such  thing  as  loneliness  in 

June 

If  with  the  world  you'll  put  yourself  in  tune — 
By  day  the  laughing  flowers 
Will  nod  at  you  for  hours, 
And  when  the  night  comes  on  the  beaming 

Moon 

Will  offer  you  her  comradeship,  and  far 
Up  in  the  Heavens  vast  some  little  star 
Will  wink  a  roguish  eye  at  you, 
And  grin  upon  the  sly  at  you, 
As  if  unto  the  end 
He'd  like  to  be  your  friend. 
So,  Brother,  hasten!    Get  yourself  in  tune 
With  all  these  friendly  offerings  of  June — 
The  Stars,  the  nodding  Flowers,  and  the  Moon. 

June  Eleventh 


A  FREQUENT  CURE 

AT  five  o'clock  each  day 
*"•  I  fold  my  cares  away, 
And  when  the  whistle  blows 
Completely  drop  my  woes, 
And  into  night  I  slip, 
As  on  a  pleasure-trip, 
Forgetting  all  my  pain 
Till  morning  comes  again; 
And,  marvelous  to  say, 
When  on  the  coming  day 
I  turn  to  seek  my  care 
I  find  it  isn't  there. 


June  Twelfth 


THE  POET 

.  BEE'S  a  jolly  rover, 
Humming  through  the  fields  of  clover, 
Working  while  he  seems  to  play. 
I  don't  wonder  he's  so  jolly, 
Seeming  free  of  melancholy. 
I'd  be  that  way,  too,  by  golly! 
Making  honey  all  the  day. 

Possibly  he  doesn't  know  it, 
But  to  me  the  Bee's  a  Poet 

Bent  upon  an  endless  rhyme — 
Through  incessant  measures  swinging, 
Humming,  strumming,  drumming,  singing, 
From  the  Heart  of  Beauty  wringing 

Liquid  sweetness  all  the  time. 

June  Thirteenth 


SPREAD  IT 

T  in  the  Sunshine  business, 
And  spread  your  wares  around, 
There's  always  some  one  in  distress 

And  darkness  to  be  found — 
Some  chap  held  in  the  grip  of  rue 

To  whom  a  greeting  warm 
Will  seem  like  sunshine  bursting  through 
The  evil  clouds  of  storm. 


June  Fourteenth 


FORTUNE 

VI/HO  would  not  help  if  so  he  could  a 

brother  bear  his  pain 
And  count  that  little  deed  of  good  a  measure 

of  pure  gain? 
Well,    there    are    Brothers    waiting,    yes, 

they're  calling  every  day; 
Their  name  is  Legion,  and  they  press  in 

hosts  along  the  way. 
And  if  a  deed  of  Sympathy  adds  to  the 

profit  score, 
A  fortune  vast  for  you  and  me  lies  waiting 

at  the  door. 


June  Fifteenth 


THE  DAILY  WORD 

T  ET'S  choose  some  word  to-day 

To  help  us  on  our  way — 
Some  word  like  Sympathy, 
Or  Hope,  or  Charity, 
Or  Faith,  or  Love,  or  Light, 
And  keep  it  e'er  in  sight, 
And  use  our  Mother-wit 
To  LIVE  the  sense  of  it. 
Who  knows  but  we  shall  find 
The  word  denotes  our  kind, 
And  when  the  twilight  falls 
And  relaxation  calls, 
'Twill  comfort  us  to  feel 
That  we  have  made  it  real. 


June  Sixteenth 


THE  TREE 

'nniS  nothing  to  be  sad  about 

Because  you  cannot  gad  about, 

And  roam  from  place  to  place 
In  search  of  things  to  wake  you  up, 
And  possibly  to  shake  you  up, 

In  an  eternal  chase. 

Yon  Tree  is  anchored  where  she  is — 
And,  oh!    how  wondrous  fair  she  is 

As  motionless  she  stands! 
You  never  hear  her  maundering 
Because  she  is  not  wandering 

O'er  distant  seas  and  lands. 

She  stays  in  her  appointed  place, 
She  takes  her  own  annointed  place, 

June  Seventeenth 


Tap-rooted  to  the  sod, 
And  does  her  task  beguilingly, 
And  grows,  and  grows,  all  smilingly 

Up,  ever  up,  to  God. 


June  Seventeenth 


OAK  OR  LILY? 

T^HE  Oak  with  endless  length  of  days, 

The  Lily  passing  like  a  flash  of  light, 

Both  win  from  man  a  worthy  meed  of  praise, 

The  one  for  beauty  and  the  one  for  might. 

Which  would  I  be  of  these  could  I  but 
choose? 

I  cannot  say,  but  this  is  in  my  mind, 
The  lot  of  neither  could  I  e'er  refuse 

Could  I,  as  they,  be  perfect  of  my  kind. 


June  Eighteenth 


SIGH  NOT 

OIGH  not  for  better  worlds  all  full  of  bliss, 
But  put  your  shoulder  to  life's  whir 
ring  wheel 
And  try  to  make  a  better  one  of  this, 

And  let  the  future  what  it  will  reveal. 
We've  sighs  enough  without  your  adding 

more, 

And  tears  enough,  and  amplitude  of  sin, 
But  all  the  while  Joy  stands  outside  the 

door 
And  only  waits  your  call  to  enter  in. 


June  Nineteenth 


A  GOODLY  CHOICE 

TF  I  shall  win  my  goal  or  lose 

I  may  not  be  the  chooser; 
But  if  the  crown  the  fates  refuse 
One  choice  will  be,  and  that  I'll  choose: 

To  be  a  SMILING  LOSER! 


June  Twentieth 


THE  DAY 

TV/fORN  I  rejoice  in,  since  it  brings  me 

light, 
And  sends  me  on  my  way  with  sense  of 

power 

To  do  the  things  I  must  do  ere  the  night 
Hath  set  an  end  unto  the  golden  hour. 

Noon,  too,  I  love  with  ardor,  since  the  sun 
In  full  and  mellowed  glory  gilds  the  blue, 

And  shows  the  daily  labor  well  begun, 
With  goals  in  sight  that  I  am  speeding  to. 

And  night — the  night  is  likewise  dear  to  me 
Since  with  it  comes  relief  from  press  and 

strain, 
With  gifts  of  dreams  through  which  the 

path  I  see 

Back  to  the  vigor  of  the  morn  again. 
June  Twenty-first 


THE  TRIPLE  HOLD 


things  are  going  wrong 
And  courage  holds  less  strong, 
To  win  the  bays  anon  — 

HOLD  ON! 

When  tempted  to  give  way, 
Your  purpose  to  betray, 
To  win  the  day  at  last  — 

HOLD  FAST! 

When  weariness  descends, 
And  weakness  dire  impends, 
To  put  Defeat  to  rout  — 

HOLD  OUT! 


June  Twenty-second 


SHEER  WASTE 

T^O  hate  an  enemy  I  hold  to  be  an  idle 

whim 
That  hurts  me  more,  all  said  and  done, 

than  e'er  it  hurteth  him. 
It  clutters  up  my  heart  with  wrath,  and  fills 

my  soul  with  gloom, 
And  wastes  a  lot  of  useful  time  on  bitter 

thoughts  of  doom. 

It  smears  the  bright  blue  of  my  skies  with 

sordid  tints  of  gray, 
And  clouds  with  shadows  dark  the  light  of 

every  passing  day. 
So  why  should  I  give  up  my  joys  for  hatred 

seething  hot 
Of  one  who  doesn't  care  a  rap  if  I  hate  him 

or  not? 
June  Twenty-third 


ACHIEVEMENT 

'M  rather  small,  but  I  can  do 
The  biggest  things  on  earth, 
And  with  small  effort  put  'em  through 
Despite  their  wondrous  worth. 


I 


For  I  can  LOVE  and  I  can  HOPE, 
And  hold  a  FRIENDLY  HAND 

To  mortals  who  in  trouble  grope 
Because  I  UNDERSTAND! 

And  I  can  give  a  bit  of  CHEER, 

And  brighten  up  the  day 
For  some  poor  traveler  p  ,le  with  fear 

Upon  the  darkened  way. 


June  Twenty-fourth 


THE   CLIMBER 

T  KNEW  a  man  who  used  his  chains 

To  climb  on  up  to  liberty, 
And  found  his  later  stock  of  gains 

The  sweeter  for  his  slavery; 
And  in  his  freedom  won  he  found 

Not  less  but  greater  servitude, 
And  passed  to  realms  beyond  us,  crowned 

With  bays  of  golden  gratitude. 


June  Twenty-fifth 


THE  OLD  AND  THE  NEW 

rPHEY    say    there's    really    nothing   new 
upon  this  gladsome  earth; 

That  all  the  jokes  we  laugh  at  are  of  very 
ancient  birth; 

That  all  the  great  inventions  of  this  won 
drous  age  of  ours 

Were  known  to  the  Egyptians   and    con 
temporary  powers. 

They  say  that  all  the  stories  by  our  story 
tellers  told 

Are  but  the  variations  of  the  narratives  of 
old; 

That  all  the  novel  notions  that  we   find 
in  politics 

The  Greeks  and  Romans  tried  out  ere  they 
journeyed  o'er  the  Styx. 

June  Twenty-sixth 


They  say  that  Life  and  Laughter  are  as 

ancient  as  the  hills; 
That  there  is  nothing  novel  in  our  very 

latest  ills; 
But  when  they  say  that  Love  is  old — the 

oldest  thing  we  see — 
I'm  glad  to  say  despite  its  age  it's  new 

enough  for  me! 


June  Twenty-sixth 


THE  BURDEN-BEARER 

\\7HEN  burdens  hard  my  shoulders  Dear, 
One  thing  I  know  to  ease  my  care — 
'Twas  God  or  I  who  placed  them  there! 

If  by  some  act  of  mine  they  came, 
I  know  full  well  if  I  am  game 
Some  other  act  can  lift  the  same. 

But  if  'twas  God  that  made  of  me 
The  bearer  of  some  burden  He 
Wished  carried  forward  sturdily, 

With  heart  and  soul  elate,  and  voice 
Upraised  in  thanks,  I  shall  rejoice 
And  strive  to  justify  His  choice! 


EVER  YOUNG 

I'LL  not  be  old  until  that  day  comes  by 

When  I  shall  fail  to  feel  the  fresh  surprise 

That  all  the  splendors  of  the  morning  sky 

Reveal    unto    my   soul    through   waking 

eyes. 

I'll  not  be  old  until  I  cease  to  hear 
The  music  in  the  whispers  of  the  breeze, 

And  listen  with  a  dull,  unheeding  ear 
To  Nature's  so  abundant  harmonies. 

I'll  not  be  old  until  my  heart  shall  find 
No  sense  of  love  that's  wrapped  up  in 
the  rose, 

And  holdeth  no  response  as  to  its  kind 
In  all  the  beauty  of  the  garden  close. 

June  Twenty-eighth 


I'll  not  be  old  until  the  soul  of  me 

Ceases  to  joy  in  Faith    and   Hope   and 

Truth, 
And   though   an   hundred  years   my   span 

shall  be, 

With  these  to  guide  I'll  hold  always  to 
Youth. 


June  Twenty-eighth 


SAFETY-DEPOSIT  VAULTS 

Midas  keeps  his  bonds  and  stocks 
Hid  in  a  Safe-deposit  Box 
Where  thieves  may  not  break  in  and  seize 
His  fine  gilt-edged  securities. 

I  keep  mine  in  the  Vault  of  Blue 
That  none  disputes  my  title  to — 
Great  stores  of  streaming  golden  light, 
And  shares  in  all  the  Stars  of  Night. 

A  Mine  of  Loving  Kindness  pays 
Rich  dividends  to  bless  my  days, 
And  all  its  wondrous  stores  of  love 
I  hold  within  those  vaults  above, 

And  need  no  lock,  and  need  no  key 
Lest  thieves  shall  steal  that  wealth  from  me, 
Since  I  can  GIVE  it  all  and  still 
Find  more  those  coffers  vast  to  fill. 
June  Twenty-ninth 


AS  TO  UNKIND  WORDS 

T^HINK  of  all  the  unkind  words  in  the 

dictionary. 

Add  them,  if  you  wish  to,  to  your  vocabulary. 
Keep  'em  at  your  beck  and  call  when  you're 

feeling  sneery. 
Have  'em  at  your  finger-tips  when  you're 

sore  and  weary. 
Fit   'em  to  your  angry  mood — adjectives 

sarcastic; 
Words   of   overwhelming   kind,   trenchant, 

sharp,  and  drastic. 
Measure   them   with   proper   care,   ponder 

them  and  weigh  'em. 
But  no  matter  how  you  feel,  don't  you  ever 

say  'em! 

June  Thirtieth 


JULY  SHOWERS 

TJERE  comes  sunny  old  July 
With  a  twinkle  in  her  eye 
And  her  lovely  smiling  sky. 

Bids  us  turn  to  pleasant  ways; 
Bids  us  think  of  playful  days 
With  her  genial  prancing  rays. 

Dots  the  meadows  with  rare  flowers, 
Thrills  the  eye  with  leafy  bowers, 
Fresher  made  by  cooling  showers. 

Ah,  those  showers!    To  my  mind 
They  are  gifts  of  Nature  kind 
In  our  trials  to  remind 

Those  of  us  beset  by  fears 
What  rare  loveliness  appears 
As  the  aftermath  of  tears! 
July  First 


BUILD 

TF  you  be  expert  or  unskilled 

It  matters  little  if  you  Build; 
And  if  in  building  you  are  true 
'Twill  make  an  expert  out  of  you. 
Waste  little  time  in  tearing  down — 
Destruction  wins  no  lasting  Crown — 
The  Souls  that  win  the  sweetest  cup 
Are  Builders! 

Builders ! 

Builders  UP! 


July  Second 


JULY 


and  song 

The  whole  day  long! 
And  soft  starlight 
The  livelong  night! 
And  breezes  sweet 
To  ease  the  heat; 
And  glowing  fields 
For  harvest  yields; 
And  dancing  rain 
To  coax  the  grain; 
And  skies  the  hue 
Of  truest  blue; 
And  all  things  green 
With  summer  sheen  — 
What  wonder  we 
Who  truly  see 
Are  filled  with  cheer 
With  July  here! 
July  Third 


FREEDOM 

HPHE  independence  that  I  seek 

Is  that  which  leaves  me  wholly  free 
To  serve  the  lowly  and  the  meek, 
And  for  the  voiceless  soul  to  speak 

Such  challenges  to  slavery 
That  soon. will  dawn  that  perfect  day 
When  all  men's  chains  have  passed  away, 
And  Freedom  is  the  portion  fair 
Of  Serf  and  Peon  everywhere! 


July  Fourth 


WILL 

\\71LL  to  be  strong! 
It  won't  be  long 
Before  you  really  are. 

Will  to  be  free 

From  misery 
And  Care  will  draw  afar. 

Will  to  be  brave 

And  e'en  the  grave 
Will  lose  its  terrors  black. 

Will  to  have  health, 

And  spirit  wealth, 
And  neither  shall  you  lack! 


July  Fifth 


THE  EXCESS 

I'LL  not  complain  of  surplus  heat 

On  country  lane  or  city  street, 
But  store  the  same  deep  in  my  heart 
Where  later  it  may  do  its  part 
When  needy  souls  demand  of  me 
An  alms  of  geniality. 


July  Sixth 


THE  TEST 

''THE  test  o'  me 

Is  just  to  make  the  best  o'  me, 
And  if  perchance  that  is  not  good 
At  least  I've  done  the  best  I  could, 
And,  after  all,  it  can't  be  hid, 
That's  all  Bill  Shakespeare  ever  did! 


July  Seventh 


INSURANCE 

TF  so  be  you'd  insure  your  life 

Against  the  shafts  of  earthly  strife, 
An  easy  premium  to  pay 
Is  just  a  bunch  of  smiles  each  day. 
A  smile  at  dawn  to  greet  the  sun, 
A  smile  at  eve  when  tasks  are  done, 
And  in  between,  from  nine  to  four, 
Keep  doling  out  the  smiling  score, 
And  every  bit  of  fearsome  care 
Will  vanish  into  thinnest  air, 
For  Woe  forgets  her  cruel  wiles 
Before  the  spirit  armed  with  smiles. 


July  Eighth 


A  PLEASANT  GAME 

DRETEND  that  you're  a  power-house, 

Irradiating  joy — 
A  sort  of  cheerful  dower-house 

Which  nothing  can  destroy; 
And  that  you're  pushing  trolley-cars 

Upon  the  tracks  of  earth — 
A  lot  of  smiling,  jolly  cars 

All  echoing  with  mirth, 
The  which  are  toting  weary  folks 

To  scenes  of  peace  and  rest — 
You'll  fill  your  world  with  cheery  folks, 

And  dwell  among  the  blest. 


July  Ninth 


THE  POINT  OF  VIEW 

AN  apple  with  a  worm  inside 
"^  Is  not  to  man  a  thing  of  pride, 
And  yet  I  cannot  help  surmise 
To  Mr.  Worm  'tis  Paradise. 
Whence  I  deduce  that  one  can  find, 
If  he  but  have  a  searching  mind, 
Somehow  in  everything  some  good 
If  it  be  rightly  understood; 
And  what  is  joy,  or  what  is  rue, 
Depends  upon  the  point  of  view. 


THE  ACCOUNTING 

T  STARTED  in  to  count  my  cares, 

And  lost  the  wheat  for  counting  tares. 
I  took  a  census  of  my  woes, 
And,  counting  thorns,  saw  not  the  rose. 
'Twas  then  I  turned  the  thing  around, 
A.nd,  counting  blessings  up,  I  found 
That,  dwelling  on  my  stock  of  cheer, 
I  hadn't  any  time  for  fear. 


July  Eleventh 


INDEPENDENCE 

"\\/HATE'ER   my   forebears   may    have 

been, 

Ape,  insect,  bird,  flesh,  fowl,  or  fin, 
I  am  MYSELF,  and,  rain  or  shine, 
Intend  to  fill  the  place  that's  MINE. 
Say  what  you  will,  prove  what  you  can, 
About  the  Origin  of  Man. 
No  line  of  Monkey  ancestry 
Can  make  a  Monkey  out  of  me. 


July  Twelfth 


SATISFACTION 

JEST  how  this  old  world  come  to  be 
*^   Hain't  never  been  quite  clear  to  me, 

But  this  I  know — 

Fer  weal  or  woe 
It's  quite  the  best  I  ever  see! 


July  Thirteenth 


OUT  OF  THE  STORM 

"1\7HEN  tempests  rage,  what  use  to  mope 

And  look  on  life  as  void  of  hope, 
And  just  because  the  fierce  winds  blow 
Let  all  your  nerve  and  courage  go! 

Go  out  and  let  the  gales  so  keen 
Sweep  through  your  soul  and  make  it  clean, 
And  let  the  rain  that  floods  the  day 
Wash  all  your  gloomy  thoughts  away. 

Go  out  and  face  it,  and  as  flowers 
Grow  sweeter  for  the  drenching  showers, 
So  let  the  storm,  for  all  its  rue, 
Refresh  the  heart  and  soul  of  you. 


THE  IMMORTAL  THING 

''PHE  world  may  change,  and  flowers  fade, 
And  Hope  by  evil  chance  betrayed 

Forever  pass  away. 
The  fair  blue  of  the  skies  may  hide 
Behind  the  darkling  clouds  that  ride 

Upon  the  wings  of  day. 
Our  treasured  plans  may  run  askew, 
And  desolation  chill  the  view, 

Unto  the  mortal  eye, 
But  in  the  heart  by  sorrows  wracked 
Remains  the  all-consoling  fact 

That  LOVE  can  never  die! 


July  Fifteenth 


A  RESOLUTION 

I'M  going  to  take  my  temper  hot 

Into  the  hills  to-day, 
And  in  some  tangled  wooded  spot 

Where  humans  seldom  stray 
I'm  going  to  lose  it  once  for  all 

Far  from  the  haunts  of  men, 
Where,  'midst  the  brush  and  timber  tall, 

'Twill  ne'er  be  found  again. 


July  Sixteenth 


AGE-PROOF 

A\7HAT   need,   though  years   shall  pass 
away, 

For  any  soul  to  yield  to  age, 
When  coming  with  each  brand-new  day 

Life's  story  shows  a  brand-new  page, 
With  brand-new  things  upon  it  writ, 

Revealing  brand-new  veins  of  truth 
To  stir  the  mind  and  edge  the  wit, 

And  fill  the  heart  with  zest  of  youth? 


July  Seventeenth 


IN  AND  OUT 

VK71TH  ribbon,  lace,  and  spat,  and  tie, 

Our  outer  Selves  we  beautify. 
We  spend  a  lot  of  hours  fair 
In  fashioning  fine  things  to  wear 
The  which  shall  make  the  Outer  Us 
Splendiferous. 

And  that's  a  right  good  thing  to  do, 
If  only  when  we  put  it  through 
We  don't  forget  in  outer  pride 
To  titivate  a  bit  Inside, 
And  make  that  hidden  Inner  Man 
As  spick  and  span! 


July  Eighteenth 


LIFE 

T   IFE  is  a  blooming  rose 

*-^     Nurtured  by  Love's  own  fires, 

And  all  our  little  woes 

Are  nothing  but  the  briars. 


July  Nineteenth 


THE  THOUGHT-GARDEN 

A    THOUGHT  is  but  a  Seed  deep  in  the 
ri        Mind 

That,  if  you  cultivate  it,  you  will  find 
Will  bloom  in  some  achievement,  ill  or  glad, 
According  as  the  Seed  is  good  or  bad. 
A  Thought  of  Joy  will  fill  your  day  with 

Peace, 
And  give  your  Soul  from  darkness  quick 

release; 

A  Thought  of  Meanness,  or  of  Evil  Deeds, 
Will  fill  your  inner  Garden  full  of  Weeds, 
And  choke  the  Bloom  that   might  be   blos 
soming 
Like  fragrant  bowers  in  the  early  spring. 


July  Twentieth 


THE  CALL 

all  the  sins  that  I  detest 
In  this  old  whirling  world  of  hurry, 
Most  useless  in  Pandora's  chest 
That  held  so  many  a  noxious  pest, 
I  deem  the  very  worst  is  WORRY. 

It  never  cures  and  often  kills; 

Of  Ruin  'tis  the  own  twin-brother; 
It  sears  the  soul,  the  heart  it  chills, 
Destroys  our  hopes  and  fattens  ills, 

More  certainly  than  any  other. 

Wherefore,  I  issue  unto  all 

My  Brothers  in  these  days  of  flurry, 
Who  rest  beneath  its  deadly  pall 
With  heart  and  soul  the  clarion  call — 

Long  live  Good  Cheer,  and  down  with 

Worry ! 
July  Twenty-first 


THE  OPEN  ROAD 

neighbors  birds  and  busy  humming 

bees; 

For  roof  the  starry  sky  and  leafy  trees; 
For  bed   the   soft,   sweet   slope   of   grassy 

sheen 

Or  some  refreshing  spread  of  piney  green; 
For  cup  of  wine  the  stimulating  cheer 
Of  laughing  mountain  waters,  crystal  clear; 
For  book  those  rarest  tales  of  joyous  love 
The  breezes  through  the  woodlands  whisper 

of; 

For  company  the  stars,  and  for  my  task 
Some  daily  labor,  great  or  small,  I  ask 
Whereby  my  debt  in  thanks  I  may  repay 
For  all  these  blessings  of  the  Open  Way! 

July  Twenty-second 


T"\ESPITE  its  sorrow  and  its  pain  I  rather 

like  the  world  we  dwell  in, 
And  hope  some  day  to  come  again  its  scenes 

to  pass  another  spell  in. 
I  like  its  shape,  I  like  its  air;  I  like  its 

pleasures  and  its  labors. 
I  like  its  people  everywhere — my  friends, 

my  enemies  and  neighbors. 
I  like  the  scheme  of  Age  and  Youth.     I 

like  such  words  as  Sister,  Brother, 
As  Love,  and  Honor,  Wisdom,  Truth,  and 

Faith,  and  Father,  Friend,  and  Mother. 
I  like  its  Rivers,  Hills,  and  Dales;  I  like 

the  broad  sweep  of  the  Ocean. 
I  like  its  Light  that  never  fails,  its  lovely 

seasons  e'er  in  motion. 

July  Twenty-third 


I    like   the   plan   of   Night   and    Day — its 

coloring  I  deem  exquisite, 
And  after  I  have  passed  away  I'd  like  to 

make  another  visit. 


July  Twenty-third 


EXTERNALS 

ills  beset  me  and  my  face 
Begins  of  Age  to  show  a  trace, 
And  my  bent  form  once  lithe  and  bold 
Gives  signs  that  it  is  growing  old; 
When  here  and  there  a  line  appears 
On  cheek  and  brow  to  prove  my  years, 
I  do  not  sigh  to  find  them  there, 
Grim  tokens  of  life's  wear  and  tear, 
For  deep  within  there  dwells  in  truth 
The  spirit  of  abiding  youth, 
And  in  my  soul  lurks  ne'er  a  doubt 
'Tis  but  the  case  that's  wearing  out. 


July  Twenty-fourth 


THE  BUILDER 

TN  childish  mood  I  like  to  pla^ 

That  I  am  building  my  own  earth, 
And  some  new  corner  every  day 

I  fashion  out  of  joy  and  mirth. 
A  little  nook  to  sing  in  here, 

A  little  spot  to  laugh  in  there, 
And  over  all  a  sky  of  cheer 

To  lift  the  shadow  of  all  care. 


July  Twenty-fifth 


SELF-APPROVAL 

"DOOR  mortal  vain!    He  thought  himself 

just  right. 

In  self -approval  sat  both  day  and  night; 
And  this  strange  circumstance  soon  came 

to  be: 

That  everybody  round  him  grew,  but  he 
Stood  stagnant  there  in  body,   soul,   and 

mind, 

And  in  the  onrush  lagged  so  far  behind 
That  when  he  reached  the  place  where  bays 

are  weft 
He  asked  for  his  and  not  a  wreath  was  left! 


July  Twenty-sixth 


THE  QUESTION 

Vl/'HEN  folks  dilate  on  Ancestry 

And  boast  a  chain  of  fine  forebears 
That  stretches  back  beyond  B.  C., 

I  envy  not  that  line  of  theirs, 
But  look  that  chain  so  noble  o'er 

And  ask  those  wights  of  blood  so  blue 
In  all  their  pride  in  things  of  yore — 

"What  sort  of  Link  in  this  are  you?" 


July  Twenty-seventh 


LOOK  UP ! 

T  OOK  up,  my  friend,  not  down! 
*~*     Why  gaze  upon  the  mire 
When  up  above  a  starry  crown 

Of  pure  celestial  fire 
Lies  waiting  for  our  eyes  to  see, 
And  for  our  souls  to  win  if  we 

So  ardently  desire 
That  every  step's  an  upward  flight 
Toward  the  sources  of  the  light? 


July  Twenty-eighth 


AS  TO  QUESTIONS 

WHEN    it    comes    down    to    questions 
strange  by  which  our  minds  are 
tasked 

I  never  bother  over 
those  that 

No 

One's 

Ever 

Asked! 


July  Twenty-ninth 


IMPERISHABLE 


thing  you  love  may  pass  away, 
Yet  loss  will  still  be  gain 
If  in  your  faithful  heart  for  aye 
The  love  itself  remain. 


July  Thirtieth 


WILLING  TARGETS 


T  OVE'S  archery  is  excellent, 

No  matter  where  his  bow  is  bent. 


His  arrows  speed  through  light  and  dark 
And  seldom  fail  to  hit  the  mark. 

I  wonder  if  the  reason's  not 
We're  all  so  willing  to  be  shot? 


July  Thirty-first 


AUGUST 

"VTOW  cometli  August  with  her  brood 
Of     joyous    things     in     gracious 

mood — 

The  smiling  skies,  the  laughing  streams, 
And  from  the  sun  the  dancing  beams 
Of  golden  light  that  seem  to  play 
Like  pranksome  elves  along  our  way; 
And  leafy  lanes  in  shimmer  drest 
Inviting  weary  souls  to  rest; 
And  trees  that  spread  their  welcome 

shade 

O'er  hill  and  dale,  and  forest  glade; 
And  silken  breezes  come  to  do 
The  service  God  hath  put  them  to; 
And  happy  birds  at  twilight  nigh 
To  sing  some  dreamy  lullaby, 

August  First 


Or  at  the  dawn  to  tell  us  of 
Another  coming  day  of  Love — 
Ah!  who  can  fail  to  find  thee  dear, 
Most  gracious  daughter  of  the  year? 


August  First 


A  LIBRARY  OF  DAYS 

I'D  like  to  bind  all  pleasant  days 
^  And  keep  them  in  my  library, 
That  when  I  come  on  sorrow's  ways 

I  may  get  at  them  handily; 
And  as  I  open  up  some  book 

That's  eased  some  bit  of  passing  pain, 
So  on  their  pages  I  may  look 

As  tho'  I  lived  them  o'er  again. 


August  Second 


RATIONS 

T    LIKE  the  way  old  Nature  serves  her 

rations  day  by  day 
That  all  of  us  can  count  upon,  so  promptly 

doth  she  pay — 
A  meed  of  light  at  early  dawn,  and  plenteous 

stores  of  air, 
And  miles  of  blue  sky  overhead  to  cheer 

away  our  care. 

She  gives  us  soft  refreshing  rains  to  cleanse 

the  atmosphere, 
And   breezes   singing   music   that   enchants 

the  weary  ear; 
She  feeds  our  souls  with  vistas  fine,  and, 

best  of  all,  she  dowers 
Each  day  we  live  in  gifts  of  time  in  four- 

and-twenty  hours. 

August  Third 


AS  TO  NIGHTMARES 

T  HAD  a  Nightmare  t'other  night, 

A  vision  fierce  and  gory, 
But  'stead  of  cowering  with  fright 
I  seized  her  mane,  and,  holding  tight, 
I  rode  the  beast  from  dark  to  light, 

To  honor  and  to  glory — 
A  rather  pleasant  way  I  find 
To  handle  creatures  of  her  kind, 
No  matter  if  they  come  my  way 
In  dead  of  night  or  light  of  day. 


August  Fourth 


BROTHERS  ALL 

A    PLEASANT  word  to  everybody— 
•^  The    rich,    the    poor,    the    real,    the 

shoddy — 

Somehow  it  does  me  good  to  greet 
Whatever  folks  I  chance  to  meet. 
And  tell  'em  "howdy"  just  as  though 
They  all  were  people  that  I  know; 
And  wish  'em  well  upon  the  way, 
And  hope  they'll  have  a  pleasant  day. 
God  made  'em  all,  and  so  you  see 
I  guess  they're  good  enough  for  me. 


August  Fifth 


A  SHORT  CUT 

A    PLEASANT  road  to  clearer  skies 
•^  When  things  go  wrong  is  to  surmise 

How  bright  and  gay 

'Twould  be  if  they 
Would  only  run  contrariwise, 
As  they  will  do,  as  sure  as  fate, 
Full  soon  if  we  in  patience  wait. 


August  Sixth 


WORTH  WHILE 

"\\7INNING,  and  sharing  your  gain; 
Grinning,  and  bearing  your  pain; 
Loving  your  friends  and  your  foes  forgiving 
Make  any  kind  of  a  life  worth  living. 


August  Seventh 


A  PARALLEL 

lets  a  passing  bit  of  woe  destroy 
The  wonder  of  a  world  replete  with 

joy 

Is  no  more  wise  than  he  who  would  deny 
The  smiling  glory  of  the  summer  sky 
Because  he'd  got  a  cinder  in  his  eye. 


August  Eighth 


ODDS  AND  ENDS 

Odds  and  Ends  that  make  up  life 
Are  mixtures  strange  of  peace  and  strife 
In  oft-amazing  blends. 
The  issues?     These  are  with  the  Gods, 
But  he  who  fears  to  take  the  Odds 
Is  like  to  lose  the  Ends. 


August  Ninth 


DEMAND  AND  SUPPLY 

VK7TIATEVER  woes  may  chance  to  be 

You'll  get  no  groans  or  frowns  from 
me, 

For  groans  and  frowns  are  sorry  stuff 
Of  which  already  there's  enough 
And  it  were  foolishness  to  try 
To  sell  an  over-large  supply, 

And  turn  one's  hand 
To  making  things  with  no  demand. 


August  Tenth 


THE  FAULT 

blame  the  world  for  this  and  that, 
In  angry  speech  and  lurid  print, 
But  let  me  tell  you  plain  and  flat 
The  fault  is  with  the  people  in't. 

If  we  who  think  we  run  the  same 

Would  do  our  part  with  smiling  grace, 

We'd  find  the  poor  old  world  we  blame 
A  fine  and  dandy  sort  of  place. 


August  Eleventh 


ETERNAL  YOUTH 


I'm  seeming  old.     My  locks 
are  gray. 

The  one-time  springy  step  is  gone  for  aye, 
And  wrinkles  chart  my  cheek  and  brow  to 

show 
The  paths  I've  trod  in  joy  supreme  and  woe. 

But  deep  within,  down  in  the  heart  of  me, 
Where  none  but  I  alone  the  truth  can  see, 
No  hint  of  Age  appears  upon  the  scroll 
That  holds  the  written  record  of  my  soul. 

In  spirit,  thanks  to  Cheer,  as  ever  young, 
My  heart  holds  songs  as  sweet  as  ever  sung, 
And  to  the  future  still  I  look  with  zest 
As  to  the  coming  of  some  welcome  guest. 

August  Twelfth 


FORTUNE 

<rpIS  said  that  Fortune's  but  a  fickle  jade 
Who  plays  with  man  like  some  flirta 
tious  maid, 

Holds  back  her  favors,  and  her  smile  denies 
Despite  the  invitation  in  her  eyes. 

Believe  it  not!  Th'  indictment  is  not  true, 
For  Fortune's  just  a  woman  thro'  and  thro', 
Who,  knowing  well  her  favors  to  be  good, 
Insists  that  to  be  won  they  must  be  wooed. 


August  Thirteenth 


LOCKED  IN 

TF  you  must  hoard  your  woes  and  fret 

About  their  vast  accumulation, 
Let  them  in  some  steel  vault  be  set 
With  key-proof  lock,  and  then  forget 
The  combination. 


August  Fourteenth 


MIST 

COMETIMES  the  heavy  mists  arise 

To  dim  the  luster  of  the  skies, 
But  when  they  pass  I  find  the  blue 
Above  me  still  remaineth  true. 

So  is  it  with  my  FAITH.    I  find 
The  mists  of  DOUBT  flit  thro'  my  mind, 
And  for  a  moment  brief  obscure 
The  beauty  of  BELIEF  secure. 

But  as  the  mists  from  out  the  sea 
Before  the  golden  sunlight  flee, 
So  passeth  DOUBT — a  spectral  WTaith 
Before  the  sure  light  of  my  FAITH. 


August  Fifteenth 


A  FOOLISH   PLAINT 


"nniME  is  dragging?"    Heavens,  man! 

Let  Time  drag  as  best  he  can  — 
Lengthen  out  the  minutes  till 
Each  an  hour  seems  to  fill. 
I^t  each  hour  drag  away 
Till  it  seems  a  good  full  day. 
"So  much  to  be  done  to  win! 
So  few  days  to  do  it  in!" 
Raise  no  plaint  if  Time  shall  lag. 
Let  the  sluggish  seconds  drag 
If  they  help  us  to  put  through 
Tasks  that  we  are  here  to  do! 


August  Sixteenth 


GOOD-WILL 

every  babe  that's  born  to-day 
Let's  wish  a  golden  sunlit  way 
From  racking  care  and  sorrow  free 
Thro'  all  the  days  that  are  to  be. 

And  for  the  souls  by  grief  beset 
To  ease  the  pressure  of  regret 
Stretch  out  the  hand  of  friendliness 
As  tho'  we  knew  of  their  distress. 

Who  keeps  a  stock  of  right  Good- Will 
On  hand  for  all,  in  joy  or  ill, 
Whate'er  the  drafts  upon  his  store 
WTith  every  spending  winneth  more. 


YIELD  NOT 

\/IELD  not  yourself  to  grief,  my  friend, 
Because  some  joy  has  reached  its  end, 
For  though  your  sorrow's  deep  and  sore 
For  things  now  gone  to  come  no  more, 
'Tis  better  rather  to  be  glad, 
In  thinking  on  the  joy  you've  had, 
Nor  mar  with  the  excess  of  tears 
The  pure  bliss  of  the  yesteryears. 


August  Eighteenth 


VAULTING  AMBITION 

TV/T Y  ambition's  on  a  flier, 

Gettin'  ever  higher,  higher. 
Once  I  thought  it  would  be  fun 
Bein'  like  G.  Washington. 
Then  I  felt  a  sort  o'  pant 
Jest  to  ekal  Gen'l  Grant. 
Then  I  thought  it  would  be  fine 
Comin'  further  down  the  line, 
To  be  great  and  popular 
Like  our  Six  Best  Sellers  are. 
But  to-day  I  tell  ye  flat, 
I'm  aspirin'  higher'n  that, 
And  my  efforts  all  is  given 
To  surpass — THE  COST  o'  LIVIN'! 


August  Nineteenth 


SAILING 

I'M  sailing  on— I'm  sailing  on 
To  harbors  strange  that  wait  anon. 
Just  where  they  are  or  what  their  kind 
Is  somewhat  misty  to  my  mind; 
But  I  am  sure  whate'er  they  be 
They'll  prove  of  interest  to  me, 
And  I'll  be  glad 
That  I  have  had 
My  turn  upon  the  sea! 


August  Twentieth 


IDLE 

"DOOR  man,  who  doubts  a  future  state, 

And  can't  imagine  Death  a  gate 
To  something  better  farther  on 
To  which  the  soul  may  come  anon! 

One  might  as  well  a  candle  be 
To  burn  and  sputter  greasily 
And  in  the  end,  for  all  its  stress, 
Just  gutter  into  Nothingness. 


August  Twenty -first 


SAILING 

I'M  sailing  on— I'm  sailing  on 
To  harbors  strange  that  wait  anon. 
Just  where  they  are  or  what  their  kind 
Is  somewhat  misty  to  my  mind; 
But  I  am  sure  whate'er  they  be 
They'll  prove  of  interest  to  me, 
And  I'll  be  glad 
That  I  have  had 
My  turn  upon  the  sea! 


August  Twentieth 


IDLE 

"DOOR  man,  who  doubts  a  future  state, 

And  can't  imagine  Death  a  gate 
To  something  better  farther  on 
To  which  the  soul  may  come  anon! 

One  might  as  well  a  candle  be 
To  burn  and  sputter  greasily 
And  in  the  end,  for  all  its  stress, 
Just  gutter  into  Nothingness. 


August  Twenty-first 


JOY  O'  LIVING 

I'VE  no  plaint  if  it  be  cold, 
•*•     I've  no  plaint  if  it  be  warm. 
I'm  content  if  I  behold 

Weather  fair  or  raging  storm. 

Dark  or  sunny  matters  not. 

All's  the  same  indeed  to  me — 
Arctic  breeze,  or  sizzling  hot — 

Long  as  I'm  alive  to  see. 


August  Twenty-second 


REACTIONS  OF  RHYME 

T  LIKE  to  think  my  thoughts  in  rhyme 

Because  I  find  that  half  the  time 
A  rhyme  for  sorry  things  that  curse 
Will  set  my  mind  on  its  reverse. 
Thus    "fear"    and    "drear"    and    "sneer" 

and  "tear" 

Each  sends  my  thinking  off  to  "cheer"; 
And  when  there's  something  to  annoy, 
The  rhyme  that  follows  on  is  "joy" — 
And  old  man  Trouble 
Nine  times  in  ten's  allied  to  "bubble." 
So  that  my  worries  rhyme  with  things 
That  give  my  weary  spirit  wings 
And  set  me  singing  like  the  lark 
Who  sees  the  morn  emerge  from  dark. 

August  Twenty-third 


AS  TO  CLAY 

TF  I'm  but  clay, 

As  some  do  say 
All  were  when  life  began, 

I'll  still  be  game 

And  mold  the  same 
According  to  some  plan, 

And  see  if  I 

Can't  by  and  by 
By  some  ingenious  trick 

So  fashion  ME 

That  I  shall  be 
At  least  a  first-class  brick. 


August  Twenty-fourth 


DEATHLESS 

T    CANNOT  find   that  death   upon   this 

sphere 

Does  more  than  close  a  bit  of  travel  here, 
But  rather  sends  the  traveler  on  his  way 
To  higher  roads  to  labor  as  he  may 
In  further  pilgrimages  to  some  goal 
For  which  while  here  he  has  prepared  his 

soul. 
Wherefore  my  friends  who've  vanished  from 

my  sight, 
And  left   me  plodding  still  from  vale  to 

height, 

Have  merely  gone  ahead,  not  dead  to  me, 
But  closer  drawn  to  realms  of  victory. 


August  Twenty-fifth 


A  DIVISION 

TF  with  some  king  I  could  divide 

A  portion  of  his  treasure, 
I  would  not  seek  to  share  his  pride, 

Nor  any  of  his  pleasure, 
Nor  any  of  the  gold  we  find 

In  many  a  monarch's  dower, 
If  but  for  Service  for  my  Kind 

He'd  give  me  half  his  power. 


August  Twenty-sixth 


WEATHER-PROOF 

cares  what  sort  the  weather  be 
If  only  he  the  truth  can  see 
That  weathers  all,  or  wet  or  dry, 
If  sun  or  cloud  rule  o'er  the  sky, 
Each  kind  is  good  in  its  own  way, 
And  neither  makes  nor  mars  the  day 
Of  him  who  in  the  warp  and  woof 
Of  his  own  soul  is  weather-proof! 


August  Twenty-seventh 


YESTERDAY,   TO-DAY,  AND 
TO-MORROW 

TV/TY  YESTERDAYS  I  dearly  prize 

Because  they  hold  my  Memories. 
TO-DAY  is  dear  unto  my  eyes 

For  present  Opportunities. 
TO-MORROW?     All  fulfilment  lies 

Upon  TO-MORROW'S  knees. 

Rich  gifts  of   Time!     O  treasures   three— 
What  Has  Been,  Is,  and  Is  To  Be — 
Each  one  is  passing  dear  to  me! 


August  Twenty-eighth 


MOLDING 

pERHAPS   when   Fate   hath   hacked   at 
you 

And  battered  you  about, 
And  with  such  buffets  whacked  at  you 

She's  nearly  knocked  you  out, 
You'll  find  some  comfort  in  the  thought 

That  when  she  seems  most  cruel 
Out  of  your  sufferings  she's  wrought 

A  mighty  precious  jewel! 


August  Twenty-ninth 


THE  BEE 

T  DO  not  love  the  buzzing  Bee  because  he 

keeps  so  busy. 
I  grant  his  vast  activity  doth  fairly  make 

me  dizzy. 
What  I  like  best  about  him  is  that  while 

his  work  pursuing 
He  seems  to  find  such  perfect  bliss  in  doing 

what  he's  doing. 
He  does  the  thing  he  has  to  do  with  truly 

joyous  vigor, 
And  dances  clover-pastures  through  just  like 

a  happy  jigger. 
And  that's  the  way  I  like  to  see  a  chap 

take  up  his  labor, 
And  that  is  why  I  deem  the  Bee  a  mighty 

worthy  neighbor! 
August  Thirtieth 


SUMMER  PASSES 

"/^OOD-BY  Summer" 's  not  the  tune 
^^     Sounding  in  my  heart  to-day, 

For  from  now  back  unto  June 
Summer's  with  me,  here  to  stay, 
Every  minute  of    its  glory  in  my  spirit 
stored  away. 

What  I've  had  in  things  of  peace 

Deep  within  my  soul  I  hold, 
With  a  joy  that  cannot  cease, 

Purer,  richer  far  than  gold 

And  the  summer  with  its   treasure  is  a 
treasure  yet  untold. 

So  the  word  is  not  "Good-by," 
As  to  seasons  dead  for  aye, 

August  Thirty-first 


And  no  tears  suffuse  mine  eye 
For  a  summer  gone  astray, 
But   with   joy  a   gift  completed  in  my 
heart  I  store  away. 


August  Thirty-first 


SEPTEMBER  FIRST 

T^ALL  or  summer — which  I  pray 

Is  this  first  September  day? 
On  the  calendar  they  call 
It  the  harbinger  of  fall, 
But  somehow  its  silky  air 
Seems  to  have  a  summer  flair, 
And  its  smile  still  speaks  to  me 
Of  the  geniality, 
And  the  color  and  the  pride, 
Of  the  pleasant  summertide; 
And  its  morning  hours  ring 
With  the  voices  of  the  spring — 


Well,  no  matter  what  you  are 
On  or  off  the  calendar, 

September  First 


You  are  grateful  to  my  sight 
For  your  wealth  of  golden  light, 
And  the  riches  scattered  wide 
O'er  the  lovely  countryside, 
Reminiscent  echoes  of 
Other  days  of  Hope  and  Love. 


September  First 


SWIM  OUT 

T  WAIT  no  ship 

With  prospects  dim, 
But  thro'  the  drip 
My  way  I  swim. 

To  win  myself 

The  prizes  high 
In  fame  or  pelf 

That  yonder  lie; 

And  tho'  my  goal 
Too  far  may  be, 

It  thrills  my  soul 
To  breast  the  sea! 


September  Second 


THE  DOCTOR 

VVTHEN  with  stress  your  eyes  are  blinking 
And  with  fear  your  heart  is  shrinking, 
Call  in  Doctor  CHEERFUL  THINKING. 

He's  the  head  of  his  profession, 
Leader  of  the  whole  procession, 
Curing  trouble  and  depression. 

Gives  you  medicines  beguiling — 
Hope  and  Faith  on  Courage  piling, 
Mixed  with  Sympathetic  Smiling. 

Tonic  Thoughts  and  Sunny  Notions, 
Pills  of  Fancy,  Mirthful  Potions, 
Soothing  all  the  Soul's  commotions — 

Good  old  Doctor  Cheerful  Thinking! 
He's  the  chap  when  Hearts  are  sinking, 
And  with  tears  your  eyes  are  blinking. 
September  Third 


SUSPICIOUS 

"\17HENE'ER  by  some  sad  chance  I  find 

A  man  of  pessimistic  mind 
Who  sneers  and  jeers  at  all  his  kind, 
I  have  a  feeling  somewhat  grim 
That  if  his  faith  in  man  is  dim 
There's  something  wrong  inside  with  him — 
A  fact  so  clearly  evident 
I  wouldn't  lend  the  chap  a  cent. 


September  Fourth 


GHOSTS 

T  SURELY  do  believe  in  ghosts 

Because  they  visit  me  in  hosts — 
Dear  Specters  of  the  days  gone  by 
Rise  clearly  up  before  mine  eye 
With  many  a  pleasant  memory 
Of  golden  hours  that  used  to  be; 
And  no  less  welcome  ghosts  of  days 
That  lie  along  our  future  ways — 
Visions  of  Hope  that  lead  me  on 
To  unknown  joys  that  wait  anon. 


September  Fifth 


THE  RIVER 

T  IFE'S  like  a  river  broad  to  me 

That  flows  forever  toward  the  sea, 
Now  calm  as  any  tranquil  sky 
That  ever  gladdened  mortal  eye, 
And  now  a  rushing  torrent  full 
Of  dangers  dark  and  terrible; 
Yet  through  the  stress  of  troublous  ways, 
As  through  the  peace  of  joyous  days, 
Forever  on  its  waters  roll 
Straight  to  the  everlasting  goal — 
As  you  and  I,  our  journey  run, 
Will  come  at  last  into  our  own. 


September  Sixth 


THE  PHCENIX 

Phoenix  was  a  mystic  bird 
Who  out  of  ashes  rose, 
And  with  a  spirit  undeterred 
Up  toward  the  skies  poked  his  absurd 
But  mighty  plucky  nose. 

His  looks  were  never  good  to  me, 

He  was  so  very  plain, 
And  yet  I  love  him  for  that  he 
Rose  up  so  strong  and  valiantly 

To  victory  from  pain. 


September  Seventh 


A  SUGGESTION 

HPHE  Landsman  pities  those  at  sea 

When  gales  are  roaring  noisily, 
And  tempests  rage  like  beasts  of  prey 
Along  the  spumy  ocean  way. 
The  Sailor  pities  those  ashore 
Whene'er  he  hears  the  squally  roar 
That  sweeps  along  the  countryside 
And  levels  trees  of  lofty  pride. 
Wherefore  I  deem  it  proper  to 
Assume  in  storms  that  this  is  true: 
On  solid  land  or  ships  at  sea 
We're  best  off  where  we  chance  to  be. 


September  Eighth 


MY  LOVES 

I  LOVE  the  land,  I  love  the  sea, 
*  I  love  the  flowers  and  the  tree, 
I  love  the  fountain-head  of  light, 
The  moon,  and  little  stars  at  night. 
I  love  the  deep  blue  of  the  sky, 
The  songs  of  warblers  flying  by. 
I  love  the  rivers  and  the  rills, 
The  valleys  deep  and  lofty  hills. 
But  most  I  love  with  heart  and  mind 
The  loving  kindness  of  my  kind. 


September  Ninth 


AS  TO  CERTAIN  DOSES 

T  AM  not  fond  of  bitter  pills, 

I  have  no  love  at  all  for  squills, 
But  there  be  times,  I  must  agree, 
When  both  are  mighty  good  for  me. 
And  so  when  some  mischance  turns  up 
That  brews  for  me  a  bitter  cup 
I  drain  it  for  the  likelihood 
That  somehow  it  will  do  me  good. 


September  Tenth 


THE  WISE  SPENDTHRIFT 

"C'OR  Time  and  Health  I  have  such  taste 

That  neither  shall  I  ever  waste, 
But  Love  hath  such  a  vast  supply, 
All  ready-made  and  standing  by, 
That  I  shall  scatter  it  as  though 
I  were  a  Spendthrift,  for  I  know 
E'en  though  'tis  squandered  recklessly 
'Twill  every  bit  come  back  to  me. 


September  Eleventh 


THE  INGREDIENTS 

CINCE  Heaven  is  the  Home  of  Grace, 

Good- Will,  and  Faith,  and  loving  Cheer, 
Who  holds  to  these  with  smiling  face 
Is  like  to  find  his  Heaven  here! 


THE  WINNER 

T  LOVE  to  see  a  youth  all  undismayed 

Who  looks  upon  the  future  unafraid, 
Who  thinks  upon  the  earth  as  just  a  ball 
For  catching  which  he  hears  a  certain  call, 
As  if  the  making  of  a  splendid  name 
Were,  after  all,  a  pleasant  sort  of  game 
That  he's  been  sent  to  play,  and  eager  stands 
With  feet  firm  set,  and  ready,  outstretched 

hands 

To  play  his  part,  unmoved  by  raucous  din 
Of  jeering  Fate — he's  in  the  mood  to  win! 


September  Thirteenth 


THE  SAILOR 

T  RATHER  like  the  Sailor's  ways, 

And  pay  them  proper  heed. 
On  adverse  winds  his  tricks  he  piays, 
And  makes  them  serve  his  need! 

He  sets  by  chart  the  course  he  sails, 
And  toward  what  Port  he  gees 

In  weather  clear,  or  howling  gales, 
The  Sailor  always  knows! 

He  keeps  his  eye  on  things  on  high, 

On  raging  seas  or  flat, 
And  every  day  that  passes  by 

He  finds  out  where  he's  "at"! 


September  Fourteenth 


THE  JOY  OF  BEING 


kind  of  pippin  I  shall  be 
The  Fates  have  not  made  known  to 
me, 

But  I  can  tell  you,  anyhow, 
'Tis  nice  to  dangle  from  the  bough. 


September  Fifteenth 


FREE   GIFTS 


A    KINDLY  word  and  cheery  way 
'**'  Will  brighten  up  the  darkest  day. 
A  pleasant  smile  in  hours  of  pain 
Will  give  to  loss  a  touch  of  gain. 
A  gleam  of  honest  sympathy 
WTill  light  the  path  of  misery, 
And  of  them  all  there  isn't  any 
That  costs  the  giver  half  a  penny. 


September  Sixteenth 


THE  STANDARD  OF  MEASUREMENT 

IV/fY  life  I  measure  not  in  numbered  days, 
How  many  score  of  years  my  path 

I've  run, 

But  on  the  sunlit  heights  or  humbler  ways 
How  much  of  love  I've  won. 


September  Seventeenth 


MOTORS 

'VT'OU  know  the  Model  of  your  Car. 

You  know  just  what  its  powers  are. 
You  treat  it  with  a  deal  of  care, 
Nor  tax  it  more  than  it  will  bear. 

But  as  to  SELF — that's  different. 
Your  MECHANISM  may  be  bent, 
Your  CARBURETER  gone  to  grass, 
Your  ENGINE  just  a  rusty  mass. 

Your  WHEELS  may  wabble  and  your  COGS 
Be  handed  over  to  the  dogs, 
And  on  you  skip,  and  skid,  and  slide, 
Without  a  thought  of  things  INSIDE. 

What  fools  indeed  we  mortals  are 
To  lavish  care  upon  a  Car, 
With  ne'er  a  bit  of  time  to  see 
About  our  own  machinery! 

September  Eighteenth 


A  PLEASANT  NOTION 

LJE  was  an  ancient  sort  of  wight, 

But  happy  as  a  piper. 
I  asked  the  cause  of  his  delight. 
"I've  found  that  years  have  no  affright 
I  am  not  aging  day  and  night," 
Quoth  he,  "But  getting  riper." 


September  Nineteenth 


SOUL-SCULPTURE 

TF  from  some  bit  of  marble  cold, 

Rough  and  forbidding  to  behold, 
The  Sculptor  with  his  skill  can  trace 
A  form  of  beauty  and  of  grace, 
Who  shall  despair  from  human  clay 
In  seeming  ruin  and  decay 
To  mold  a  form  in  which  shall  be 
The  semblance  of  Divinity? 


September  Twentieth 


OVERLOOKED 

PHILOSOPHERS  in  marvelous  array 
Have  written  books  of  proverbs  very 

full. 
I  wonder  none  of  them  has  ever  paused  to 

say: 
An  Ounce  of  Push  is  worth  a  Ton  of  Pull ! 


September  Twenty-first 


TOLERANCE 

T^HE  Raven's  croak  is  harsh  and  flat, 
But  maybe  'tis  HIS  song  at  that, 
And  if  he  thinks  his  croak  a  song 
And  sounds  it  bravely  all  day  long, 
Altho'  we  know  his  voice  is  "broke," 
Let's  let  the  poor  old  fellow  croak, 
And  in  his  own  way  ease  his  woes 
With  such  poor  music  as  he  knows. 


September  Twenty-second 


KNOTS 

IFE  is  a  tangled  sort  of  skein. 
A  Some  of  the  Knots  are  full  of  pain, 
But  all  the  same  there's  lots  of  fun 
When  each  day's  work  at  last  is  done, 
To  put  our  stock  of  cares  aside 
And  see  how  many  we've  untied. 


September  Twenty-third 


AS  TO  ENEMIES 


thing  about  an  Enemy 
At  least  is  wholly  gain  — 
With  empty  bits  of  flattery 

He  does  not  make  us  vain; 
And  maybe  thro'  his  subtle  flings 

Sharp  as  a  serpent's  tooth 

We'll  get  a  line  on  sundry  things 

Not  far  removed  from  truth. 


September  Twenty-fourth 


GOOD   SAILING 

LJOLD  your  FRIEND-SHIPS,   they're   the 

fleet 

Bound  for  Harbors  fair  and  sweet. 
Hurricane  or  howling  gale, 
If  they're  stanch  they  never  fail, 
And  there's  joy  whate'er  the  weather, 
Sailing  on  and  on  together. 


September  Twenty -fifth 


A  DREAM? 

A    PLEASANT  dream  in  days  of  yore 
•^      Sometimes   comes  back  in  days  of 

doubt — 
I  thought  the  Sun  was  Heaven's  door, 

The  Light  God's  glory  streaming  out, 
And  Stars  the  windows  thro'  which  He 
By  night  kept  vigil  over  me. 

"A  childish  dream  indeed?"  say  you. 
Who  knows?    Perhaps  it  may  be  true! 


September  Twenty-sixth 


FOOLS  AND  SAGES 

OOME  sages  wise  look  down  on  folly, 
And  view  the  fool  with  melancholy, 
But  as  for  me,  the  foolishness 
Of  fools  fills  me  with  no  distress, 
For  if  we  had  no  fools  at  all 
The  wise  would  find  but  little  call 
For  all  the  wisdom  they  dig  out 
To  put  the  foolish  ones  to  rout, 
And  it  would  raise  the  very  hob 
If  all  the  wise  men  lost  their  job. 


September  Twenty-seventh 


WHAT'S  YOUR  HURRY? 

'S  your  hurry,  Mister  Man? 
Slow  down  somewhat  if  you  can. 
Life's  no  sprint  by  swiftness  won, 
But  a  lengthy  Marathon, 
And  the  prizes  of  the  race 
Go  to  him  of  steady  pace 
With  the  long  and  sturdy  stride 
O'er  life's  gleaming  countryside. 
Stop  your  hurry!     Heed  this  rhyme! 
You'll  be  old  before  your  time, 
Using  up  your  strength  and  powers 
Pushing  on  the  worried  hours, 
And  tho'  prizes  may  be  had 
Thro'  this  pace  so  swiftly  mad, 
What's  the  use  of  prizes  won 
With  the  zest  for  laurels  gone? 

September  Twenty-eighth 


TELLING  TIME 

'"PHE  time  of  day  I  do  not  tell 

•*•      As  some  do  by  the  clock, 

Or  by  the  distant  chiming  bell 

Set  on  some  steepled  rock, 
But  by  the  progress  that  I  see 

In  what  I  have  to  do. 
It's  either  Done  o'Clock  for  me, 

Or  only  Half -past  Through. 


September  Twenty-ninth 


ALL  THE  SAME 

TF  high  your  place  it's  in  your  gift 
•  To  give  some  other  chap  a  lift; 
Or,  if  you've  but  a  lowly  roost, 
From  lower  levels  you  can  boost, 
And  be  as  useful  to  your  race 
As  anybody  round  the  place. 
To  lift  or  boost,  it's  all  the  same 
If  you  will  only  play  YOUR  game. 


September  Thirtieth 


OCTOBER 

and  crisp  the  morning  air, 
Wondrous  pictures  everywhere. 
Gorgeous  hues  on  leafy  tree, 
Blue  and  gold  on  sky  and  sea, 
Sense  of  strength  in  mind  and  soul, 
Vision  clear  to  every  goal, 
Not  a  task  that  looms  in  view 
Greater  than  Resolve  can  do — 
Blest  October,  month  divine, 
Take  this  tribute  small  of  mine 
For  the  meed  of  Hope  you  bring 
For  the  Autumn's  harvesting. 


October  First 


THE  HUNTSMAN 

IV/TY  game-bag  I  would  fill 

With  spoil  man  cannot  kill— 
The  tender  memory 
Of  joys  that  used  to  be; 
The  loveliness  of  skies 
Entrancing  to  the  eyes; 
The  music  of  the  trees 
So  thrilled  with  harmonies; 
The  secrets  of  the  wood 
By  man  scarce  understood; 
And  when  the  Hunter's  Moon 
Lures  me  through  dale  and  dune 
To  seek  the  Hunter's  share 
Of  prizes  lurking  there, 

October  Second 


Tis  not  to  kill  I  go, 
But  to  enjoy  the  glow 
Of  game-bags  all  athrill 
With  things  man  cannot  kill. 


October  Second 


HAPPINESS 

pNOUGH  to  feed 

One's  daily  need, 
With  something  more 
Always  in  store 
For  others'  stress — 
Methinks,  my  friend,  that's  Happiness! 


October  Third 


THE  ROAD 

\X7HAT  is  the  Road  to  Cheer 
VV    Over  the  Hills  of  Fear? 
Thinking  the  floral  way. 
Dreaming  of  meadows  gay. 
Speaking  the  thoughts  that  rise 
Out  of  the  blue  of  skies. 
Smiling  your  way  along, 
Steady  in  face  of  Wrong. 
Dwelling  upon  the  good. 
Walking  in  Brotherhood — 
That  is  the  Road  to  Cheer 
Over  the  Hills  of  Fear! 


October  Fourth 


GOOD   COMPANY 

Y  should  you  mope  and  groan 
Because  you  are  alone, 
When  each  star  in  the  blue 
Is  twinkling  down  on  you, 
And  rays  of  light  all  day 
Around  about  you  play, 
And  in  their  hide  and  seek 
The  breezes  kiss  your  cheek, 
And  every  flower  you  see 
Nods  at  you  cheerily? 


October  Fifth 


GREETINGS 

/GREETINGS,  Friend  upon  the  way, 
^*  On  this  glad  October  day. 
May  the  freshness  of  the  morn 
Drive  away  all  thoughts  forlorn. 
May  the  skies  so  deeply  blue 
Smile  protectingly  on  you, 
And  the  treasures  of  the  light 
Guide  you  safely  to  the  night 
And  be  with  you  till  anon 
More  light  comes  to  speed  you  on. 


October  Sixth 


FRUITION 

V17TIAT  I  planted  in  the  spring 

Shortly  I'll  be  harvesting. 
If  I  planted  weeds  in  May, 
Rue  will  be  my  lot  to-day. 
But  the  little  seeds  of  love 
While  the  June  sun  shone  above 
I  implanted  in  the  soil, 
And  have  watched  with  patient  toil 
Through  the  summertide,  will  flower 
In  some  rare  autumnal  hour 
In  the  grain  of  joy  to  feed 
Heart  and  soul  through  winter's  need. 


October  Seventh 


A  ROBBERY 

A    HIGHWAY  robber  pounced  on  me, 
"^     And    stole    from    me    my    greatest 

treasure. 
He  rifled  me  relentlessly, 

Yet  left  me  rich  beyond  all  measure. 

His  name  was  Cupid — precious  thief! — 
And  'twas  my  heart  he  ran  away  with, 

But  left  behind  a  golden  sheaf 
Of  Love  to  glorify  my  day  with. 


October  Eighth 


OAK  OR  ACORN 

T  MAY  not  have  a  family  tree 
From  Adam  A  to  Izzard  Me, 
But  maybe  I  can  plant  one  now 
That  later  from  some  leafy  bough 
Will  sprout  a  bit  of  golden  fruit 
Of  which  I  am  the  stock  and  root, 
And  gain  the  honorable  pelf 
They  grant  to  ancestors  myself— 
The  Oak  with  what  is  past  is  gray, 
The  Acorn  holds  the  future  day! 


October  Ninth 


TESTED 

I'VE  met  some  wights  upon  the  way 

Who've  never  yet  been  tempted, 
Who  seem  to  think  they  have  the  bay 

Of  virtue  all  pre-empted — 
Fine  folks  indeed,  but,  after  all, 

Whene'er  I  chance  to  find  them 
I  see  much  good  in  men  whose  fall 

Has  placed  their  sins  behind  them. 


October  Tenth 


MY  STAR 

T  HAVE  a  Star  up  in  the  heavens  high 
Which   I'm  content  to  reach  but  with 

mine  eye. 

I  have  no  wish  to  climb  to  it  and  there 
Find  rest  from  earthly  trouble  and  from 

care. 

I  simply  wish  to  keep  it  as  a  thing 
To  grow  toward,  and,  when  I  feel  the  sting 
Of  some  dark  bit  of  misery  and  rue, 
To  know  'tis  there  for  me  to  look  up  to. 


October  Eleventh 


THE  BLIND  MAN 

'1717'HO  thinks  of  life  in  terms  alone  of  woe, 
Forgetful  of  its  joys  and   days  that 

glow, 

Is  like  the  man  who  thinks  «of  busy  bees 
As  noisy  things  that  sting,  and  never  sees 
The  stores  of  honey  that  their  industry 
Builds  up  to  sweeten  things  for  you  and  me. 
He  sees  the  thorn  and  overlooks  the  rose, 
Forgets  his  friends  and  contemplates  his 

foes, 

And,  'spite  the  beauty  of  the  summer  skies 
O'erlooks  the  birds  and  growls  about  the 

flies. 


ALTERNATIONS 

T  IGHT  and  shadow— that  is  life! 

Joy  and  pain  and  love  and  strife. 
Up  to-day  and  down  to-morrow — 
Some  of  laughter,  some  of  sorrow; 
Peace  and  war  and  war  and  peace — 
To  all  things  Time  brings  release. 
Whate'er  comes  we  all  must  share  it; 
Wherefore,  let  us  grin  and  bear  it, 
Waiting,  when  our  woes  annoy, 
For  the  alternating  joy. 


October  Thirteenth 


THE  BEST  AVAILABLE 

T^O-DAY  may  not  be  all  you  wish, 

To  work,  to  laugh,  to  play,  to  fish. 
It  may  not  be  of  trials  free 
As  you  would  like  your  day  to  be. 
It  may  be  overcast  with  storm. 
It  may  be  somewhat  overwarm — 
But  dark  or  light,  or  chill  or  hot, 
It's  quite  the  best  to-day  you've  got, 
And  you'll  do  well  to  use  your  wit 
To  get  what  good  you  can  from  it. 


October  Fourteenth 


THE   PAINTER 

TACK  FROST  came  roving  by  last  night 
*^    And  dressed  the  fields  in  filmy  white, 
And  left  a  silver  etching  plain 
Upon  my  gleaming  window-pane. 
But  more  than  that,  with  merry  wink 
He  splashed  my  pallid  cheek  with  pink, 
And  painted  all  the  smiling  land 
With  colors  of  a  Master  hand! 


October  Fifteenth 


THE  REAL  GENIUS 

HHHE  man  who  first  invented  sleep 
Won  laurels  of  a  deserving  kind, 
The  which  I  trust  he'll  ever  keep 

To  please  his  fine  inventive  mind. 
But  if  you'd  ask  of  me  to  state 

To  whom  I'd  give  the  fairest  cup 
I'd  say  it  was  that  genius  great 

Who  first  invented  WAKING  UP! 


October  Sixteenth 


THE  OLD  THINGS 

TF  it  were  by  some  mischance  true 

That  'neath  the  sun  there's  nothing  new, 
I'm  sure  I'd  find  a  lot  of  cheer 
In  all  the  old  things  left  us  here — 
The  wisdom  of  the  ancient  sage, 
The  stories  of  each  bygone  age, 
The  chivalry  of  men  of  old 
When  knights  were  daring,  brave,  and  bold; 
In  ancient  cities,  ancient  hills; 
In  storied  rivers,  rocks,  and  rills; — 
Indeed,  so  much  of  joy  I  find 
In  things  of  really  ancient  kind 
That  in  my  heart  'twere  small  ado 

If  it  were  true 
That  'neath  the  sun  there's  nothing  new! 


A  USEFUL  WHIM 

''FHE  only  care 
1    That  I  shall  share 
Shall  be  the  care  of  others, 

And  on  the  road 

I'll  halve  the  load 
Of  overburdened  brothers. 

I  rather  guess 

It's  selfishness 
That  drives  me  to  such  actions, 

For  in  this  plan 

I  find  I  can 
Forget  my  own  distractions. 


October  Eighteenth 


WAITING 

COME  day,  somehow,  somewhere, 
^  The  hours  will  be  fair, 
And  for  the  good  we've  done 
The  prizes  will  be  won. 
The  waiting  may  be  long, 
But  if  'tis  filled  with  song 
And  smiling  cheer  'twill  seem 
But  as  a  passing  dream, 
Whence,  waking,  we  shall  see 
Sweeter  reality. 


October  Nineteenth 


FRIEND   AND   ENEMY 

T  HOLD  that  man  mine  enemy  who'd  fill 
My  heart  with  mistrust  of  my  fellow- 
men; 
Who  to  the  cause  of  envy  and  of  ill 

Devotes  the  powers  of  his  tongue  and  pen ; 
But  he's  my  friend  who  strengthens  my  be 
lief 

In  all  the  goodness  that  surrounds  us  here, 
And  helps  me  on  to  gather  up  the  sheaf 
And  fruitage  of  life's  harvestings  of  cheer. 


October  Twentieth 


PRACTICE 

VT'OU  say  you  can't  be  cheerful,  but  you 

can! 

Just  take  a  glance  at  yonder  toiling  man, 
That  Carpenter  who  uses  well  the  tool 
That  makes  him  Master  of  his  special  school. 
He  couldn't  use  the  chisel  and  the  saw, 
The  hammer  and    the  jackplane  and  the 

claw, 

Until  through  constant  failure  he  became 
A  Master  in  the  uses  of  the  same. 
So  is  it  with  this  task  of  cheerfulness 
In  moments  full  of  worry  and  distress — 
The  effort  baffles  all  our  stores  of  wit, 
But  some  day,  if  we  only  practice  it, 
We'll  find  it  growing  easier  until 
We  handle  cheer  with  all  a  Master's  skill. 

October  Twenty-first 


A  RECEIPT 

A    REAL  good  joke  at  breakfast,  and  a 
•**         hearty  laugh  at  noon, 
And    'twixt   your    lunch    and    dinner-time 

some  catchy  little  tune, 
And  when  the  shades  of  nightfall  shall  ob 
scure  the  smiling  sun 
An  hour  or  two  of  thinking  on  the  good 

that  men  have  done, 
And  just  before  your  bedtime  just  a  little 

word  of  praise 
For  all  the  beauty  of  the  world  for  Him 

who  molds  our  ways; 
And  then  a  smiling  "good  night"  ere  to 

dreamland  on  we  press 
Will  make  a  day  all  golden  in  its  perfect 

loveliness. 
October  Twenty-second 


POISON 

VKTHO'D  quaff  a  cup  of  poison  If  he  knew 
It  held  a  deadly,  soul-destroying  brew, 
To  paralyze  his  step,  and  in  one  hour 
Reduce  to  nothingness  a  span  of  power? 

No  more  shall  I  those  poisons  tolerate 
Which  evil  passions  everywhere  create — 
The  whispers  mean  of  scandal,  and  the  sneer 
That  makes  me  hold  my  fellow-man  less 
dear. 

The  hints  that  tongues  of  malice  love  to 

spread, 

In  oozy  swamps  of  hate  and  envy  bred — 
Those  poisons  of  the  soul  that  wither  trust 
And  strive  to  lay  life's  beauty  in  the  dust. 

October  Twenty-third 


AN  EPITAPH 

T  SEEK  no  vain  high-sounding  epitaph 

In  fulsome  line  and  ponderous  paragraph, 
But  when  the  time  at  last  shall  come  when  I 
Have  put  the  things  of  earth  forever  by, 
I  hope  some  one  will  place  upon  the  stone 
Whereby  my  final  resting-place  is  known, 
The  simple  words  to  speak  my  gratitude — 
HERE  LIES  A  GRATEFUL  GUEST,  WHO  FOUND 
LIFE  GOOD. 


October  Twenty-fourth 


THE  UNIVERSAL  LANGUAGE 


T^HE  tongues  of  men  are  many,  but  the 

heart 

Hath  little  need  of  the  linguistic  art, 
For  where  there's  human  sympathy  the  Eye 
Hath  potency  no  language  can  supply. 
It  speaks  its  sense  of  love  in  terms  so  clear 
That  e'en  the  deaf  its  messages  can  hear, 
And    whether    you    be    Roman,    French, 

Chinese, 

A  Briton,  Slav,  Egyptian,  Singalese, 
Danish  or  Swede,  a  Spaniard  or  a  Greek, 
Your  eye  that  universal  tongue  can  speak. 


October  Twenty-fifth 


MY  SONG 

WHATEVER  be  the  depth  of  woe 
Along  the  path  that  I  must  go, 
I'll  sing  my  song — 
My  song  of  joy  for  all  the  love 
That's  lavished  on  us  from  above, 
And  count  no  loss  of  treasure-trove 

When  things  go  wrong. 
I'll  sing  the  sunlight,  and  the  bright 
Soft  smiling  stars  that  gem  the  night; 

For  gifts  of  good 

That  God  hath  spread  along  my  way, 
The  lilt  of  birds  in  tuneful  play, 
The  harvests  full  and  flowers  gay, 
The  whole  day  long 
I'll  sing  my  song 

Of  gratitude! 
October  Twenty-sixth 


A  REFLECTION 

HPHE  only  things  I'm  envious  of 

Are  deeds  of  Service  and  of  Love. 
The  only  things  I  truly  hate 
Are  devil's  deeds  of  cynic  fate. 
The  only  man  that  I  would  be 
Other  than  him  the  world  calls  Me 
Is  that  great  soul  of  worthy  pride 
I  might  have  been  had  I  but  tried. 


October  Twenty-seventh 


THE  GAMBLER 


speculative  fevers  lure 
Me  into  ventures  insecure 
I  turn  and  put  my  stakes  upon 
How  things  will  be  in  days  anon, 
When  everywhere  we  look  we'll  see 
Rich  dividends  in  Cheer  and  Glee 
On  stocks  of  Kindness  and  the  good 
Of  Peace,  Good-  Will,  and  Brotherhood; 
In  shares  of  Joy  I  tap  the  wealth 
Of  Love  and  Sympathy  and  Health  — 
And  never  have  I  lost  a  cent 
In  little  fliers  in  Content. 


October  Twenty-eighth 


THE  GIFT  OF  TIME 


nPIME  cannot  pause  to  wait  on  us, 

Yet  while  he  speeds  along  his  way 
A  gift  of  hours  right  glorious 

He  grants  afresh  each  passing  day, 
And  none's  so  poor  in  place  or  deed 
That  Time  forgets  him  and  his  need. 


October  Twenty-ninth 


GOOD  TRAINING 

T^AIR  Nature  may  be  somewhat  dumb 
*     As  to  the  happy  world  to  come, 

By  troubles  all  unvext, 
But  it  will  do  no  harm  while  here, 
Upon  our  present  whirling  sphere, 
To  practise  well  the  arts  of  cheer 

As  training  for  the  next. 


October  Thirtieth 


AN  IMPROVEMENT 

TN  ancient  days 

*•  The  broad  highways 
Resounded  to  TOWN-CRIERS'  cries. 

They  cried  and  cried 

On  every  side, 
And  with  their  crying  rent  the  skies 

It  seems  to  me 

'Twould  better  be 
If  every  TOWN  a  LAUGHER  had 

To  fill  the  earth 

With  sounds  of  mirth 
Where  it  to-day  is  oversad. 


October  Thirty-first 


GLAD  NOVEMBER 


old  month  November  is. 
Full  of  pep,  and  whirr,  and  whizz. 
Something  in  the  morning  air 
Sort  of  dissipates  your  care; 
Makes  you  feel  that  you  could  spill 
All  the  hopes  of  Kaiser  Bill, 
Caesar,  and  Napoleon, 
All  of  them  rolled  into  one. 
Something  in  the  glistening  skies 
Lends  its  brilliance  to  your  eyes, 
And  you  run  your  way  along 
With  a  heart  chock  full  of  song  — 
Best  of  all,  its  symbol,  "Nov." 
Makes  a  bully  rhyme  for  Love. 
Life  seems  truly  worth  the  living 
In  this  month  of  our  Thanksgiving. 

November  First 


THE  SMALL  POTATO 


smallest  'later  in  the  hill 
In  spite  of  that's  a  'tater  still, 
And  has  a  'tater's  work  to  do, 
Mashed,  Lyonnaise,  or  in  a  stew; 
And  that's  a  thought  I  think  to  cheer 
The  host  of  little  fellows  here 
And  helps  'em  do  the  best  they  can 
Each  one  to  prove  himself  a  man! 


November  Second 


TRANSFERRED  ROSES 

HPHE  autumn  chill  may  drive  the  rose 

To  exile  from  the  garden  close, 
Yet  are  the  roses  far  from  dead — 
They  bloom  on  human  cheeks  instead! 


November  Third 


LANDS  OF  PROMISE 

OUNRISELAND  is  fair  and  sweet, 
^  Lending  vigor  to  our  feet, 
Offering  gifts  of  light  and  cheer 
To  the  doughty  cavalier. 

Sunsetland  is  soft  and  kind 
In  the  glowing  golden  west, 
Luring  heart  and  soul  and  mind 
To  the  dreamy  Vales  of  Rest. 


November  Fourth 


THE  EXPLORER 

I  WENT  exploring  yesterday, 
Not  in  the  Arctic  Sea, 
Nor  other  places  far  away, 

But  in  the  Soul  of  Me. 
And,  oh!  the  things  discovered  there 

Not  ever  guessed  before! 
Things  possible  to  do  and  dare — 

A  rich  uncovered  store. 
I  found  no  marveled  stretch  of  earth, 

But  things  of  majesty — 
And  full  of  splendor  in  its  worth, 

The  Man  that  I  Might  Be! 


November  Fifth 


THE  WHIMSICAL  PHILOSOPHER 

"117HILE  Knowledge  giveth  wings, 
*  *     I'd  hate  to  know  all  things, 
And  live  my  life  all  through 
With  nothing  ever  new 
That  I  could  try  to  learn; 
And  meet  at  every  turn 
The  same  old  facts  that  I 
Had  known  in  years  gone  by, 
And  Self  become  a  gray 
Old  Cyclopediay! 


November  Sixth 


CO-OPERATION 

HPHE  Universe  and  I  must  work  together, 
However    bleak    or    pleasant    be    the 
weather; 
And  though  it's  rather  large  and  I    am 

small, 

That  does  not  change  the  simple  fact  at  all 
That  in  our  own  respective  sphere  and  line 
It  has  its  job  and  I  likewise  have  mine; 
And  long  as  it  provides  heat,  air,  and  light, 
I'll  do  my  stint  with  all  my  main  and  might. 


November  Seventh 


MORNING,  NOON,  AND  NIGHT 

TV/TORN  is  the  time  for  stating  creeds 
Which  Noon  shall  prove  with  faithful 

deeds, 

That,  when  the  sands  of  day  are  run 
And  all  their  duties  duly  done, 
The  Night  may  come  with  well-earned  rest 
To  clasp  the  weary  to  her  breast, 
And  up  through  Dreamland  lead  the  way 
Into  another  fruitful  day. 


November  Eighth 


UNIMPAIRED 

I'M  not  as  young  as  once  I  was  some 

fifty  years  ago, 
My  step  is  somewhat  halting  and  my  hair 

is  white  as  snow; 
But  deep  down  in  the  heart  of  me  I  find  a 

stock  of  cheer 
As  joyous  and  as  full  as  in  the  days  of 

yesteryear. 
Earth's  just  as  lovely  to  my  sight  as  when 

mine  eyes  were  young, 
And  music  to  my  ear's  as  sweet  as  when 

songs  first  were  sung; 
The  skies  as  blue,  the  stars  as  bright,  as 

e'er  they  were  before, 
And  Faith  and  Hope  are  stronger  for  the 

roads  I've  traveled  o'er. 
November  Ninth 


TO  THE  UNKNOWN  FRIEND 

"DECAUSE  I've  never  seen  you  eye  to  eye, 

Because,  unknown,  we've  passed  each 

other  by, 
Because  our  paths  have  never  chanced  to 

meet 

In  country  lane  or  busy  city  street, 
No  reason  is  that  you  and  I  can't  be 
Firm  friends  in  full  and  living  sympathy. 
If  in  the  selfsame  channels  of  the  soul 
Our  hearts  together  seek  the  selfsame  goal. 
So,  friend  unknown,  here's  health  and  joy 

to  you, 
And  to  the  Friendship  fair  betwixt  us  two! 


November  Tenth 


THORNS  AND  ROSES 

A    THORN  had  I  that  pierced  my  side, 
^*       A  thorn  whose  hurt  ran  deep,  whose 

pain 

Brought  suffering  to  flesh  and  pride, 
And  made  my  days  seem  dark  and  vain. 

Yet  when  its  hurt  ran  deepest,  then 
Amid  the  pressure  of  its  woes 

Down  in  the  hearts  of  fellow-men 
I  sought  and  truly  found — the  rose! 

The  rose  of  human  sympathy, 

The  rose  of  loving  heed  and  care, 

And  now  whatever  thorns  there  be 
I  know  the  roses,  too,  are  there, 

November  Eleventh 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  LIFE 

A    CHAP  I  knew — he  was  no  fool — 
•^  Rejoiced  that  he  was  thro'  with  school, 
And  seemed  perplexed  because  I  said 
If  that  were  true  he  must  be  dead. 
He  did  not  know  that  every  day 
We  walk  on  our  appointed  way 
In  joy  or  woe,  in  peace  or  strife, 
We're  in  the  splendid  School  of  Life, 
And  learning  fine  things  by  the  score 
We  never  even  dreamed  before, 
And  what  is  more,  despite  our  brass, 
We're  only  in  the  Infant  Class! 


November  Twelfth 


UP 

TTP  in  the  morn  to  greet  the  day. 
Up  to  labor  and  UP  to  play — 
UP  with  a  heart  all  full  of  song — 
Just  keep  TIPPING  it  all  day  long. 


November  Thirteenth 


THE  BETTER  PLAN 

nnO  be  an  Angel  here 

Is  very  well,  I  guess, 
And  many  folks,  'tis  clear, 
To  that  achievement  press. 

But  as  for  me,  I  deem 
It  far  a  better  plan, 

A  more  important  scheme, 
To  try  to  be  a  MAN. 

If  I  can  be  the  kind 
Of  MAN  I  really  might, 

I've  not  a  doubt  I'll  find 
My  ANGELHOOD'S  all  right. 


November  Fourteenth 


MOTHER  EARTH 

''PHE  earth  is  old  with  countless  years — 

She's  old  in  joy  and  old  in  tears. 
None  can  compute  the  wondrous  store 
Of  hours  that  comprise  the  score, 
And  yet  for  all  of  that  she  goes 
Through  summer  suns  and  winter  snows 
As  ardently  and  fresh  and  sweet 
As  though  no  age  had  dogged  her  feet. 
Fruitful  and  smiling  and  serene 
She  runs  along  all  fresh  and  green, 
And  gives  us  life,  and  gives  us  rest, 
And  clasps  us  close  unto  her  breast, 
And  bids  us  manfulwise  to  win 
The  precious  gifts  that  lie  within. 
Dear  Mother  Earth,  for  all  thy  good 
I  think  on  thee  in  gratitude. 
November  Fifteenth 


IMAGINARY  TROUBLE 


o 


,H,  the  tolls  that  I  have  paid, 
Tolls  of  worry  and  of  care, 
Over  bridges  never  made, 

Bridges  dark  that  never  were; 
Crossing  streams  unreal  that  lie 

In  the  gloom  of  unborn  days, 
Streams  ne'er  seen  by  mortal  eye 

Bordering  untrodden  ways. 
That's  the  poorest  kind  of  Tax, 

Bearing  useless  loads  of  fear 
On  already  burdened  backs 

At  the  present  cost  of  cheer; 
Running  up  appalling  bills 

Paid  in  worry  and  distress 
For  imaginary  ills — 

That  were  sheerest  foolishness! 

November  Sixteenth 


A  REVERSIBLE  HEART 

TN  times  of  my  adversity 
1     A  heart  of  steel  I'll  hold 
To  meet  the  things  confronting  me 
Undaunted  and  as  valiantly 

As  any  warrior  bold. 
But  when  some  other  in  despair 
Comes  begging  and  besieging  there, 
May  it  be  pliant  to  his  stress 
And  full  of  smiling  tenderness, 
And  loving  heed  and  care! 


November  Seventeenth 


HEAD  AND  HEART 

'Xl/'HAT'S  in  my  head  my  tongue  may 

say. 

What's  in  my  heart  my  eyes  betray. 
When  tongue  and  eyes  do  not  agree 
And  fail  to  stand  in  unity, 

The  man  who's  wise 

Will  trust  the  eyes! 


November  Eighteenth 


IN  DEFEAT 


by  some  evil  tricked 
Your  strength  runs  under  par 
Just  don't  admit  you're  licked 
Until  you  really  are; 

And  even  then 
Get  up  and  fight  again. 


November  Nineteenth 


THE  TRUER  JOY 

I  return  to  Youth  I  would  not  try, 
Tho'  fair  indeed  I  hold  the  days  now 

gone, 

For  that  would  be  a  turning  back,  and  I 
Hold  fairer  still  the  joy  of  going  on. 


November  Twentieth 


THE  SYMBOL 

Hurdy-Gurdy  Man  to  me 
Is  symbol  true  of  cheer, 
However  flat  his  notes  may  be 

Unto  the  tutored  ear; 
For  day  by  day  he  grinds  away 

The  hours  short  or  long — 
His  work  a  bit  of  tuneful  play, 
His  daily  grind  a  song. 


November  Twenty-first 


OUT  OF  THE  DEPTHS 

''PHE  kingly  pomp  of  Charlemagne 
Has  gone,  nor  will  return  again. 

The  lives  of  Martyrs  on  the  Cross 
Spelled  golden  gain  where  all  seemed  loss. 

When  woe  hath  claimed  thee  for  her  own 
And  bound  thee  helpless  to  her  throne, 

Yield  not  to  envy  of  great  kings 
Renowned  for  warlike  conquerings — 

Their  glory  dies  in  one  brief  hour — 
Thy  pain  may  make  for  lasting  power. 


November  Twenty-second 


THE  DAILY  HARVEST 

]V/fY  friend  of  yesterday  I  keep, 
^  *•     Mine  enemy  I  cast  away. 
All  things  of  joy  I  fondly  reap, 

To  beckoning  woe  I  answer  Nay. 
No  use  to  me  are  bygone  cares. 

I  hoard  alone  remembrance  sweet, 
And  with  back  turned  unto  the  tares 

I  start  my  day  with  garnered  wheat. 


November  Twenty-third 


THE  JOY  OF  HOPING 

nPHROUGHOUT  my  days  I've  hoped  for 

much 

I've  not  been  able  yet  to  touch; 
I've  had  ambitions  truly  high 
And  found  fulfilment  passing  by; 
And  while  I've  seldom  realized 
The  goals  that  I've  so  dearly  prized, 
I've  found  a  deal  of  joyous  pelf 
In  HOPE  itself. 


November  Twenty-fourth 


PUZZLES 

T  LIKE  to  take  the  old  mischance, 
The  mind-disturbing  circumstance, 
And  treat  it  as  a  puzzle  I 
Must  solve  before  I  pass  it  by. 
Hard  riddles  and  deep  rebuses 
Used  in  my  childish  days  to  please, 
And  still  I  take  a  meed  of  joy 
In  solving  puzzles  that  annoy, 
And  finding  out  the  answer  to 
Perplexities  that  rise  in  view — 
And,  oh,  the  bliss,  the  sheer  delight 
That  comes  when  I've  the  answer  right! 


November  Twenty-fifth 


THANKSGIVING 

all  the  glorious  Sons  of  Earth 

With  souls  of  purest  golden  worth, 
Who've  rendered  up  their  All  that  we 
May  dwell  secure  in  Liberty, 

Our  thanks  arise! 
For  all  the  treasures  of  the  heart 
Revealed  amid  the  sting  and  smart 
Of  strife  and  pain  the  world  o'ercast, 
The  Love,  the  Sympathy  so  vast, 

The  Sacrifice; 

For  willingness  of  Man  to  yield 
His  life  and  happiness  to  shield 
The  helpless  from  the  brutal  hand, 
And  of  all  tyrants  free  the  land, 

In  hymns  of  praise 

November  Twenty-sixth 


To  Him  who  sits  enthroned  above, 
The  God  of  Righteousness  and  Love, 
In  measures  swelling,  glorious, 
Our  glad  Thanksgiving  songs  let  us 
Our  voices  raise! 


November  Twenty-sixth 


ACTION 

TVREAMING  things, 
*-*  Scheming  things, 

Setting  things  a-going; 
Planning  things, 
Spanning  things, 

Plowing  things  and  sowing, 
Brewing  things, 
Doing  things, 

Taking  things  and  giving— 
That's  the  way 
To  make  the  day 

Truly  worth  the  living. 


November  Twenty-seventh 


A  PREFERENCE 

THO  write  a  great  romance,  I'm  sure, 

Would  give  me  happiness  secure, 
And  fill  my  soul  with  pride  that  I 
Had  reached  at  last  a  goal  so  high. 
And  yet  when  thinking  love  tales  o'er, 
With  all  their  golden,  blissful  store, 
No  matter  how  their  joys  delight  one, 
I'd  truly  rather  LIVE  than  WHITE  one. 


November  Twenty-eighth 


THE  WISDOM  OF  THE  MOTH 

5rTIS  said  the  Moth  the  Star  desires, 

And  yet  I  note  the  scamp, 
Despite  ambition's  inner  fires, 

Takes  pleasure  in  the  lamp; 
And  doing  thus,  it  seems  to  me, 

Gives  us  suggestions  wise, 
To  rest  content  with  earth  if  we 

Can't  hope  to  win  the  skies. 


November  Twenty-ninth 


THE  THING  THAT   COUNTS 

\17HY  vex  your  mind  with  worry  sore 
On  what  to-morrow  holds  in  store? 
If  it  be  joy  or  dull  regret, 
Remember  well — it  is  not  yet. 

Why  worry  over  yesterday 
And  all  its  stock  of  trials  gray? 
Whate'er  the  burden  of  its  pain, 
'Tis  gone — and  can't  return  again. 

Think  on  To-day — the  present  hour — 
If  it  be  sunny,  sweet  or  dour. 
The  thing  that  really  counts  is  how 
We  meet  the  everlasting  Now! 


November  Thirtieth 


THE  ICY  ROAD 

(~\LD  graybeard  Winter  cometh  forth 
^^^  Backed  by  his  hosts  from  out  the  North 

To  subjugate  the  earth. 
O'er  all  his  icy  pall  is  cast — 
His  Arctic  legions  flying  past 
With  bitter  sleet  and  chilling  blast 

Have  routed  Autumn's  mirth. 

And  yet,  for  all  his  work  so  grim, 
Faith,  Hope,  and  Love  are  waiting  him 

Not  far  along  the  way, 
And  all  his  grievous  deeds  of  rue 
Will  fade  like  mists  from  mortal  view 
As  on  and  up  they  lead  us  to 

The  joys  of  Christmas  Day. 

December  First 


MIRRORS 

A    MIRROR  for  the  face  is  well, 
•^  And  truths  of  worth  its  verdicts  tell. 
How  fine  'twould  be  if  we  could  find 
Another  for  the  heart  and  mind 
That  it  might  tell  us  in  our  pride 
If  things  are  right  or  wrong — inside. 


December  Second 


THE  HUMOROUS  PHILOSOPHER 

HPIME  is  a  vast,  inexorable  Hen, 

And  each  new  day  a  nice  fresh  egg, 

new-laid, 
That's  placed  each  dawn  before  all  living 

men 
From  which  some  new  refection  may  be 

made; 
And  each  man  takes  his  egg  in  his  own  way, 

And  uses  it  with  foolishness  or  wit — 
For  me  I  fondly  hope    and  ever  pray, 
Whate'er  I  do  I  shall  not  scramble  it. 


December  Third 


ALLIES 

clouds  that  blur  the  sky 
No  mortal  can  deny, 
And  yet,  for  all  their  snare, 
The  glowing  sun  is  there. 


The  world  may  thrill  with  fear, 
Bereft  of  joy  and  cheer, 
And  life  seem  only  pain — 
Yet  golden  hopes  remain. 


A  future  lowering  grim 
The  present  light  may  dim, 
Yet  in  life's  turgid  stream 
The  sturdy  soul  may  dream. 
December  Fourth 


With  Hope  and  Dreams  and  Light 
To  ease  the  world's  despite, 
And  Love  to  aid  the  three — 
Who  doubts  the  victory? 


December  Fourth 


OUT  OF  THE  MURK 

VTIGH  prison  walls  I  one  time  heard 
•^   The  joyous  singing  of  a  bird. 

On  sordid  ways  by  grime  beset 
I've  spied  a  smiling  violet, 

And  in  the  depths  of  squalor  wild 
I've  heard  the  laughter  of  a  child. 

Are  you  in  woe?     Ah,  well — for  you 
There  may  be  yet  some  joy  that's  true, 

E'en  as  these  hints  of  bliss  I've  found 
With  naught  but  misery  around. 


December  Fifth 


THE  CUP 

TIT'HATE'ER  man  was  when  life  began, 
I  think  I  have  discerned  the  plan 

For  which  he  was  designed  when  he 
First  came  to  be: 

A  sort  of  Chalice  tried  and  true 
For  God  to  pour  Himself  into 
That  the  Divine  might  carry  on 
Thro'  years  anon, 

And  with  its  inspiration  draw 
The  world  up  to  the  higher  law 
Where  selfish  pride  and  seeking  fall, 
And  love  is  all. 


December  Sixth 


AT  SUNSET 

'117'HEN  the  rare  grandeur  of  the  sunset 

tsky 

Reveals  itself  to  my  enchanted  eye 
With  all  the  golden  glory  of  the  cloud, 
And  gorgeous  pageantry  of  hue  endowed, 
And  through  my  soul  the  truth  hath  come 

to  me 

That  over  yonder  lies  Eternity, 
I  thrill  to  dream  of  the  Eternal  State 
With  so  much  splendor  lavished  at  the  Gate. 


December  Seventh 


THE  WILLING  WILL 

T  LIKE  a  willing  horse  or  man: 

I  like  a  willing  mind 
That  willingly  does  all  it  can 

Its  special  task  to  find; 
But  most  I  like  that  willing  Will 

That  in  the  midst  of  blight 
Gives  battle  dauntlessly  to  ill 

And  wills  its  way  to  light. 


December  Eighth 


A  WAR  IMPRESSION 

F  GAZED  upon  a  scene  of  war 

And  there  amid  the  welter  sore 
The  birds  sang  sweetly  in  the  wood, 
And  even  where  I  stood 
Grass  green  as  ever  mortal  knew 
And  flowers  full  of  beauty  grew; 
And  gleaming  thro'  the  flare 
Of  conflict  and  the  glare 
At  night  the  stars  shone  brightly  o'er 
That  scarry  field  of  war, 
And  seemed  to  send  down  smiles  of  love 
As  token  from  the  hosts  above 
That  all  the  sacrifice  and  pain 
That  Valor  suffered  there  was  not  in  vain, 
While  Mother  Earth's  rich  arms  were  wide 

apart 

To  clasp  her  weary  sons  close  to  her  heart. 
December  Ninth 


EARNINGS 

HPHERE'S  many  a  thing  in  life  I  lack, 
And  yet  I  don't  regret  'em, 
But  put  my  pack 
Upon  my  back 
And  hie  me  forth  to  get  'em. 

I've  strength  of  arm,  and  will  to  toil, 
And  eye  for  lurking  treasure, 

And  from  life's  moil 

I  gather  spoil 
According  to  my  measure. 


December  Tenth 


THE  WEATHER-MAKER 

I'M  sure  if  you  could  have  your  way 

You'd  make  each  day  a  pleasant  day, 
And  keep  the  skies  forever  clear 
Of  clouds  that  hide  the  fount  of  cheer. 

Well,  rain  or  shine,  in  raging  storm, 
A  smile  will  make  the  prospects  warm 
For  some  one  that  you  chance  to  meet 
Upon  the  sorrow-burdened  street. 

A  pleasant  word  will  bring  the  light 
Into  a  noon  as  dark  as  night, 
And  any  act  of  brotherhood 
Will  make  the  bleakest  weather  good. 

So  up  and  at  it,  Friend  o'  Mine! 
Get  busy  in  the  weather  line, 
And  make  fine  days  for  every  one 
As  Understudy  of  the  Sun. 
December  Eleventh 


A  QUERY 

VTDU'VE  sat  your  lunch  and  breakfast 

through. 

Perhaps  you've  had  your  dinner,  too, 
Regaling  self  on  bread  and  meat 
Until  your  stomach  is  replete. 
But  as  you've  run  along  your  way 
What  have  you  fed  your  soul  to-day? 
What  thing  of  beauty  or  of  cheer 
Of  all  life's  lovely  menu  here? 
What  food  of  Selflessness  and  Love 
Have  you  perchance  partaken  of? 
I'm  asking  this  about  your  food 
With  no  intention  to  be  rude, 
But  just  to  put  a  simple  question 
To  save  you  mental  indigestion. 


A  RESOLVE 

I'M  just  a  bit  o'  human  seed 

The  Fates  have  planted  on  this  earth, 
And  whether  I  be  flower  or  weed, 

A  thing  of  sorrow  or  of  worth, 
I'm  goin'  to  get  my  roots  in  deep, 

And  day  by  day,  and  night  by  night, 
Without  cessation  ever  keep 

A-growin'  upward  toward  the  light. 


December  Thirteenth 


THE  OVERBURDENED 

TLJI  there,  my  friend!    Just  pause  awhile. 

Sit  down  and  for  a  moment  smile. 
Why  try  to  carry  all  the  wrack 
Of  this  whole  world  upon  your  back? 

There's  others  right  beside  you  here 
With  shoulders  broad  and  purpose  clear 
Who're  ready  to  take  up  their  share 
Of  our  great  Universe  of  care, 

And  what  they  cannot  carry  leave 

To  other  shoulders  to  retrieve; 

And — hist! — those  Souls  have  farthest  trod 

Who've  left  SOME  part  of  it  to  God. 


THE   DANCE 

A    WITHERED  leaf  or  two 

Came  dancing  into  view 
Before  the  driving  wind 
To  wintry  crosses  blind. 

They  hither  danced  and  yon 
The  frozen  ways  upon, 
As  if  their  spirits  free 
Were  bubbling  o'er  with  glee. 

No  thought  of  bitterness, 
No  thought  of  their  distress, 
But,  seeming  full  of  song, 
They  simply  danced  along. 

If  they,  why  may  not  I 
WThen  bitter  storms  come  by 
Make  sport  of  evil  chance 
And  onward  gaily  dance? 
December  Fifteenth 


THE  THIEF 

COMEHOW  I  always  think  of  grief 
^  As  just  a  sorry  sort  of  thief 
Who  robs  me  of  my  peace  of  mind, 
My  joy,  my  cheer,  and  leaves  behind 
To  vex  to-day  and  cloud  to  morrow 
Naught  but  a  useless  meed  of  sorrow 
That  cannot  help  the  thing  I  mourn, 
Or  soothe  a  heart  by  trial  torn; 
And  likely  graves  upon  my  face 
A  mark  no  years  can  e'er  erase 
To  thrust  on  other  men  the  moan 
I  should  have  guarded  as  mine  own. 


December  Sixteenth 


CLEARING  THE  WAY 

I'LL  take  my  share 

Of  daily  care 
And  smilingly  its  burden  bear; 

Nor  add  a  jot 
To  what  I've  got 
By  wailing  o'er  my  woeful  lot. 

For  as  I  see 
The  wray  things  be 
Tears  only  fatten  misery, 

While  patient  cheer 
Confronting  fear 
The  thorniest  of  paths  will  clear. 


IN  THE  WOODS 

A  MONG  the  proverbs  writ  of  old  I  find 
•^         a  lot  of  chaffing, 
And  if  it  were  not  overbold  I'd  say  they 

keep  me  laughing. 
For  instance,  "When  you're  in  the  wood 

don't  whistle,"  said  the  sages — 
And  maybe  that  advice  was  good  in  those 

far-distant  ages — 
But  as  I  go  my  way  in  life  through  jungles 

black  and  scary, 
Through  vales  all  full  of  lurking  strife,  while 

careful  to  be  wary 
Amid  the  dangers  dark  and  grim  with  which 

the  forests  bristle, 
I  find  to  keep  my  nerve  in  trim  that's  just 

the  time  to  whistle! 

December  Eighteenth 


SANCTUARY 

"IXTHERE  are  the  songs  of  summer  days, 
^*      The  joyous  notes  of  spring? 
Where  are  the  gladsome  roundelays 
The  song-birds  used  to  siifg? 

Safe,  my  Brother,  one  and  all; 

Safe  and  secure  they  be, 
Hid  from  the  winter's  chilly  pall 

Deep  in  the  heart  of  me. 


December  Nineteenth 


AS  TO  HEAVEN 

I  look  on  brilliant  skies, 
When  I  breathe  the  keen  crisp  air; 
When  I  see  the  light  that  lies 

Round  about  me  everywhere; 
When  I  taste  the  fruits  of  earth 
'  Toil  provides  for  appetite; 
When  I  glimpse  the  things  of  worth 
Lying  everywhere  in  sight — 

Mother-love  and  children's  glee, 

Kindly  hearts  and  smiling  lips, 
Touch  of  human  sympathy 

Thrilling  myriad  finger-tips — 
Then  I  wonder  if  indeed 

With  these  gifts  of  loving  cheer, 
If  we  do  but  give  them  heed, 

We  have  not  our  Heaven  here? 

December  Twentieth 


SPACE  AND  TIME 

VTOW  what  is  Space  that  we  should  dread 

The  distances  before  us  spread? 
A  million  leagues  plus  millions  more, 
The  smiling  stars  have  traveled  o'er, 
To  bring  to  us  their  golden  dower 
Of  light  to  ease  the  shadowed  hour — 
There  is  no  Space  however,  wide, 
Light  cannot  ride! 

Now  what  is  Time  that  we  should  fear 

The  passing  on  of  year  on  year? 

Back  in  the  ages  past  I  see 

A  love  begun  to  reach  to  me 

From  Him  who  gave  His  life  and  died 

That  I  might  into  Glory  ride — 

There  is  no  age  since  Time  began 

Love  cannot  span! 
December  Twenty-first 


STAR-LED 

"IK/HEN  I  recall  the  spirit-feast 

Spread  for  those  Wise  Men  of  the 
East, 

Star-led  across  the  desert  plain 
To  Him  who  taught  that  Loss  was  Gain, 
In  moments  of  my  stress  I  gaze 
Into  the  Heavens'  starry  ways, 
And  choose  some  star  of  Hope  to  lead 
My  soul  to  plenty  out  of  need. 


December  Twenty-second 


MY  GIFT 

HHHE  Christmas  Gift  I'm  thinking  of, 

If  you  would  make  me  rich, 
Is  just  a  garment  knit  of  Love — 
And  don't  you  drop  a  stitch! 


December  Twenty-third 


THE  CHRISTMAS  SPIRIT 


heart  doth  hold  the  Christmas 
glow 

Hath  little  need  of  Mistletoe; 
Who  bears  a  smiling  grace  of  mien 
Need  waste  no  time  on  wreaths  of  green; 
Whose  lips  have  words  of  comfort  spread 
Needs  not  the  holly  -berries  red  — 
His  very  presence  scatters  wide 
The  spirit  of  the  Christmastide. 


December  Twenty-fourth 


SANTA  CLAUS 

T\O  I  believe  in  Santa  Glaus?     Well,  I 

^~^        just  guess  I  do! 

He  is  no  Ghost  of  filmy  gauze,  but  spirit 

stanch  and  true. 
He's  much  too  fine  for  any  eye  of  mortal 

man  to  sight, 
And   on   this   Christmas  Morn   speeds  by 

like  any  flash  of  light. 
There's  such  a  lot  that  must  be  done  in 

all  parts  of  the  land, 
He  cannot  interrupt  his  run  to  shake  you 

by  the  hand; 
But  when  by  deeds  of  thoughtfulness  you 

find  yourself  inclined 
To  help  another  in  distress  he  has  you  in 

his  mind. 

December  Twenty-fifth 


THE  AFTERMATH 

nnO  all  he  gave,  from  none  received, 
But  was  his  spirit  sore  or  grieved? 
Not  so!    The  glow  of  giving  filled 
His  heart,  and  all  his  being  thrilled 
With  so  much  joy,  the  aftermath 
Next  morning  glorified  his  path 
And  gave  him,  as  I  heard  him  say, 
A  double-barreled  Christmas  Day. 


December  Twenty-sixth 


NOW  AND  HERE 


a  little  patch  of  earth, 
Fenced  it  all  about  with  Mirth; 
Planted  it  with  Love  and  Cheer; 
Weeded  out  all  hints  of  Fear; 
Watered  it  right  lavishly 
From  the  rills  of  Sympathy; 
Gave  it  all  the  loving  care 
I  could  gather  anywhere; 
And  —  perhaps  you'll  doubt  the  same, 
But  it's  true  —  AN  ANGEL  CAME 
Flying  by  one  morning  bright; 
Paused  a  moment  in  his  flight, 
Gazed  upon  that  garden  fair, 
Swooped  about,  and  SETTLED  THERE! 

December  Twenty-seventh 


"For  it  truly  seemed,"  said  he, 
"Just  like  Heaven  unto  me, 
And  I'm  glad  that  you  appear 
To  have  found  it  now,  and  HERE!" 


December  Twenty-seventh 


PLEASANT  THINKING 

"DY  thinking  pleasant  thoughts  to-day 
I'll  strew  with  flowers  all  my  way, 
And  maybe  scatter  unto  others 
The  seeds  of  joy  to  help  my  brothers; 
And  when  the  night  has  come  along 
Those  thoughts  will  fill  my  dreams  with  song, 
And  maybe  ease  some  passing  sorrow 
That  may  await  me  on  the  morrow 
By  giving  me  the  smiling  start 
That  comes  from  cheeriness  of  heart. 


December  Twenty-eighth 


A 


IF,  BUT,  AND  WHY 

LL  "  doubts  "  and  little  "  if s  "  and  "  buts  " 

To  me  are  nothing  more  than  nuts 
That  I  must  crack  that  I  may  reach 
The  meat  of  faith  that  lies  in  each. 
No  harm  in  honest  questions  lies, 
And  up  among  the  great  and  wise 
Are  those  who've  reached  the  levels  high 
Through    "ifs,"    and    "buts,"    and    asking 
"WHY?" 


December  Twenty-ninth 


THE  REFUGE 

T7"EEP  a  small  place  deep  in  your  heart, 

A  refuge  from  the  world  apart, 
Whither,  when  care  and  troubles  dire 
Oppress  your  soul,  you  may  retire; 
And  once  within,  when  worries  come 
With  thoughts  all  black  and  burdensome 
To  vex  you  with  their  blatant  din, 
Sit  tight,  and  just  DON'T  LET  'EM  IN! 


December  Thirtieth 


A  PARTING  GIFT 

TTPON  this  last  day  of  the  dying  year 
Fling  on  all  sides  thy  gifts  of  Love  and 

Cheer 

In  such  abundant  stores  that  all  mankind 
A  portion  of  thy  Goodly  Will  shall  find, 
And  give  thee  in  return  some  little  part 

Deep  in  his  heart, 

For  he  who  in  the  human  Heart  doth  dwell 
Hath  won  a  home  no  palaces  excel, 
And  hath  no  need  to  fear  the  fateful  thing 
The  dawning  of  the  New-born  Year  shall 
bring. 


December  Thirty-first 


DATE  DUE 


GAYLORD 


A     000  541  780     3 


